Men’s Hockey Set for Back-to-Back Road Battles

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team takes to the road for consecutive mid-week road tilts as the Rams step out of conference play on Valentine's Day to visit Franklin Pierce, before traveling to Nichols Wednesday, Feb. 15 for a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest.  Game time Tuesday night is set for 7:30 p.m. with puck drop slated for 7:10 p.m. Wednesday. 

SOCIALIZE
Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics by connecting with the Rams on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #RamNation for an insider's look at Suffolk's teams and student-athletes.

LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Connor Henry netted a pair of goals, including a shorthanded tally late in the second period, and added an assist for three points to lead the Suffolk men's hockey team to a 4-3 Commonwealth Coast Conference victory over the University of New England Saturday evening at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink.       

MORE READING: Connor Henry Sends Men's Hockey Past UNE, 4-3

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk put itself in the playoff picture with a win Saturday night, moving to 6-11-4 on the season and 4-9-2 in league play. The Rams will use its contest at Franklin Pierce to prep for its final leg of conference contests before post-season puck begins. 

In its last two outings, Suffolk's offense has picked up the pace, scoring seven goals. Sophomores Connor Henry (2g, 2a) and Connor Parent (2g), freshman Brian Brooks (1g, 1a) and senior Jack Jenkins (1g, 1a) were crucial ingredients to the Rams rally as of late. 

Overall, Tommy Bishop paces Suffolk's 2.33 goals per game offense with 15 points off five marks and 10 setups. Senior Danyil Medvedev joins the sophomore in double digits points with 10 on four scores and six handouts. Sophomores Justin Holliday and Parent match Bishop's team-high in goals with five apiece. 

In net, Michael Levine earned the latest victory for the Rams to move to 3-5-3 on the season. The sophomore boasts a .900 save percentage (394) and a 3.60 goals-against average (44). Senior Kevin Venturoso, meanwhile, is 3-6-1 in between the pipes with a .908 save percentage (247) and 3.20 goals-against average (25). 

RAVENS REVIEWS
Franklin Pierce welcomes Suffolk Tuesday night for a game which was originally scheduled for Jan. 7 at the Rams' home ice, but has since been rescheduled twice due to winter weather. The Ravens, who are 9-14-1 this season, entertain the blue-and-gold in their season finale. 

Jonathan Haun's 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists lead the way for the Raven's 166-point offense with 67 goals and 97 handouts. Nate Indelicato (9-9-18), Taylor Fletcher (3-9-12), Alex Lester (5-6-11) and Alex Schieper (4-7-11) are also offensive threats for Franklin Pierce. 

Tom McGuckin has held down the net for the Ravens as the junior sports a .911 save percentage (657) and a 3.86 goals-against average in 22 appearances.   

INSIDE THE SERIES
Suffolk leads the all-time series versus Franklin Pierce, 10-4-2. Last season, the Rams and Ravens split the two meetings with the blue-and-gold picking up the last outing, 5-3.    

EYES ON THE GAME

BITS 'BOUT THE BISON
Nichols (13-5-5, 10-2-4 CCC) is unbeaten in its last three games to remain in first place in the league with victories over Western New England (3-1) and Johnson & Wales (3-2) and a 1-1 time with Salve Regina.   

The Bison are potting 3.2 goals per game led by J.B. Baker's 14 scores. The freshman forward also paves the way in points with 32 thanks to a team-high 18 handouts. Scott Cuthrell, who is second on the squad in points with 27, has also setup 18 goals. 

Colin Brennan is the main backstop for Nichols, bringing in a 10-4-5 ledger with 567 saves (.930) and a 2.19 GAA (43). Patrick Salkind has also seen action in net for the Bison with 107 saves to his credit for a 2.21 GAA and a 3-1-1 mark. 

WE MEET AGAIN
Sophomore Brendan Heinze's goal with 16 seconds remaining in regulation lifted the Suffolk men's hockey team to a 2-2 overtime tie with Nichols in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday night at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink.  

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Skates to 2-2 Tie with Nichol

THE SERIES
Suffolk and Nichols take the ice for the 47th time since 1982 with the Rams owning a 25-18-3 all-time series advantage. 

EYES ON THE GAME
 

HENRY COLLECTS CCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Connor Henry played a big role in the Suffolk men's hockey 4-3 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) win over the University of New England Saturday night en route to picking up CCC Player of the Week honors the league office announced Monday afternoon. 

MORE READING: Henry Collects CCC Player of the Week 

SHUTOUT
Kevin Venturoso turned aside 28 pucks Saturday night at Becker to record his first collegiate shutout. He is the first Suffolk netminder to tally a cleansheet since Michael Levine blanked Becker Feb. 13, 2016. Just three games later the senior did it again with a 23-save effort against Wentworth. 

SERIES SWEEP
For the first time since 2009, Suffolk swept the regular-season series versus Wentworth. The Rams took the first meeting versus the Leopards, 2-1, Nov. 12, and shutout WIT 1-0 Feb. 2. 

CLEANSHEETS
For the first time since 2007-08, Suffolk has two shutout victories as the Rams blanked Becker, 3-0, Jan. 21, and recorded a 1-0 victory over Wentworth Feb. 2. 

ONE-GOAL GAMES
Suffolk landed on the right side of a one-goal game thanks to Luke Miller's first period marker versus Wentworth Feb. 2. The 1-0 victory over the Leopards marks the first time that the Rams won a 1-0 game since downing Becker 1-0 Feb. 13, 2016. 

HATS OFF
In his Suffolk debut Jackson Tucker registered a hat trick showing, scoring all three of Suffolk's goals in the 3-0 win at Becker. Tucker, the first Ram to pot three pucks in one game since Stanton Turner did so in a 7-2 win over the Hawks Nov. 11, 2014, grabbed CCC Player of the Week accolades for his three-goal game performance. 

MORE READING: Tucker Grabs CCC Player of the Week 

FROZEN FENWAY
Thursday, Jan. 5 will go inside Suffolk men's hockey record books as the Rams took the ice at legendary Fenway Park apart of the Capital One Frozen Fenway 2017. 

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Holds Intersquad Scrimmage at Frozen Fenway

SHORT-HANDED
Luke Miller's first goal of the season came in short-handed fashion at Western New England Nov. 10. The junior forward is the first Ram to net a man-down score since Justin Selep '16 put one away in a 5-2 win at Nichols Jan. 16, 2016. 

CCC FROZEN FIRST
Simon Leahy's first goal of the season turned out to be a historic one as the senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first player across the CCC to find the back of the netting on the inaugural night of play for the first-year league. Since the tally was on the power play, he added to the historics, as the forward also became the first CCC skater to put one away on the man advantage opportunity. 

CCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tommy Bishop of the Suffolk men's hockey team will go down in history as the first-ever Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week as the sophomore grabbed the initial award of the inaugural season after a career opening night, the conference office announced Oct. 31.

MORE READING: Bishop Grabs First-Ever CCC Player of the Week Nod

UP NEXT
Suffolk concludes its home slate Saturday, Feb. 18 when Johnson & Wales stops by Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Rink for Senior Night. Prior to the 7:30 p.m. puck drop, the Rams will honor the playing careers of its six seniors Connor Lawrence, Brett Lawson, Simon Leahy, Danyil Medvedev, Stanton Turner and Kevin Venturoso.