PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – After taking a 4-2 lead in the third period, the Salve Regina men’s ice hockey team let up two goals 26 seconds apart to Curry College as the Seahawks and Colonels ended in 4-4 draw, Wednesday evening at Portsmouth Abbey.
Salve Regina (7-11-3, 4-5-2 ECAC Northeast) jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead just 2:08 into the opening frame. Freshman Liam Centrella (Andover, Mass.) took a shot that went just wide of the goal that junior Chase Davis (Dallas, Texas) corralled and fed to freshman Zakerie Thompson (Rochester, Mass.) for his second goal of the season.
With 9:31 to go in the opening frame, senior Anthony Birbilis (Katonah, N.Y) gave SRU a 2-0 lead with his first goal of the season off an assist from freshman Lucas Sousa (Billerica, Mass.) and Centrella.
Curry (9-10-3, 5-3-3 ECACNE) cut the Seahawks’ lead to 2-1 as freshman Patrick LeBeau (Park Ridge, Ill.) sent the puck past SRU goalie senior Mike McDonald (Whitby, Ontario) off a feed from freshman Frankie Posillico (Massapequa, N.Y.) during the Colonels’ third power play chance of the period.
Freshman Alec Butler (Marlborough, Mass.) pushed the hosts’ lead back to two goals at 4-2 with a shorthanded goal at the 10:25 mark in the second period. Sophomore Michael Naso (Londonberry, N.H.) found Butler positioned in front of the net and Butler pushed it past Curry goaltender sophomore Derek Mohney (Amherst, N.Y.).
Less than three minutes later, senior Casey Brugman (Winthrop, Mass.) netted his sixth goal of the season to bring the Colonels back to within one goal at 3-2.
Freshman Marc Biggs(Plano, Texas) scored Salve Regina’s final goal of the contest to give SRU its third two-goal lead of the game as he scored 2:16 into the third period off a feed from junior Trey Rasmussen (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) and freshman Peter Gintoli (Monroe, Conn.).
Brugman and freshman Shane Harrington (Mansfield, Mass.) scored back-to-back goals within 26 seconds of each other to tie the game with less than eight minutes to play.
After Salve Regina called a timeout after the game-tying goal from Harrington with 7:56 to play, McDonald and the Seahawk defense kept the Colonels from scoring, stopping five shots. At the other end of the ice, Mohney made three saves in the final eight minutes of regulation and got help from his defense with two blocked shots.
Moheny and McDonald each made four saves in the overtime period to keep each offense off the scoreboard. Salve Regina controlled the puck in the final two minutes of the game, taking six shots, four on the net and winning three of the last four face offs.
McDonald finished the game with 25 saves in the net while Mohney made 26 saves for the Colonels.
Salve Regina returns to the ice on Saturday, Feb. 9 as the Seahawks host Western New England at Portsmouth Abbey. The opening faceoff is set for 7:35 p.m. as Salve Regina honors its four seniors. Curry returns to the ice when the Colonels host Nichols on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. (Game Recap Courtesy of Salve Regina Sports Information)
