Men’s Hockey Takes Down Wentworth in OT, 2-1

EAST BOSTON – Kyle Valiquette put away the game-winner with 2:09 remaining in overtime to push Suffolk men's hockey to a 2-1 triumph over Commonwealth Coast Conference foe Wentworth Friday night at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Wentworth 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-7-2, 2-7-1 CCC) | Wentworth (3-10-1, 1-8-1 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Valiquette skated on a 2-on-1 with Ryan Webb, who secured the puck from Samuel Rand in the neutral zone. The freshman slipped Valiquette the puck for an easy snipe over Jack McGovern's right shoulder that lifted the blue-and-gold to victory at the 2:51 mark of the overtime.  

Suffolk broke onto the board at the 13:22 mark of the first frame when Ryan Harrigan converted a Griffin Clark into the game-opening goal. Will MacNeil assisted on the power play goal that pushed the host ahead 1-0.  

The Rams had a chance to pad the margin in the middle period when it went on the power play for the third time on the night. Cole Scott fired a shot from the point that ricocheted off the right pipe to keep the score still at 1-0 Suffolk.  

While Wentworth looked to level the playing field, Suffolk aimed to tack on insurance. The Leopards lit the lamp first as Jacob Shankar took a pass from Sam Milnes into the Rams' zone and caught Cal Wilcox off guard in transition to even things to 1-all 5:09 into the final period of regulation. Kasey O'Brien helped set up the play by winning the puck behind WIT's net and dishing ahead to Milnes at the visitors own blue line. 

WIT continued to pepper Wilcox with shots for the remainder of the third period. Thankfully the senior netminder denied all nine of the shots the Leopards managed to put on target to force the extra session. 

NETMINDER NOTES

• Wilcox registered 37 saves in the overtime win. 
• McGovern logged 34 saves in the setback. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Harrigan scored one goal on the power play and Valiquette logged the game-winner in OT. 
• Clark, MacNeil, Webb and Samuel Rand all recorded one assist. 
• Wentworth held an edge in shots, 38-36. 
• The Leopards had the upperhand in faceoffs, 42-33.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams won their third game in a row, which marks the longest win streak winning three games straight Jan. 8-12, 2019. 
• Suffolk is now on a four-game unbeaten streak, which is the longest unbeaten stretch since the Rams went 3-0-2 Jan. 22-Feb. 5, 2022. 
• Suffolk defeated Wentworth for the third straight meeting to move to 16-24-1 all-time against the Leopards. 
• The Rams and Wentworth went into overtime for the seventh time in the all-time series, first time since Nov. 5, 2021. That game ended in a 4-4 draw. 
• Suffolk defeated Wentworth in OT for the first time since it took the Leopards down 3-2 March 2, 2008. 
• Suffolk is now 3-2-2 in OT against the Leopards. 
• The Rams are 4-0-1 versus WIT in the last five meetings. 
• Suffolk won its first home overtime game against the Leopards. 
• At home, the Rams are now 1-1-1 in OT versus WIT. 
• Suffolk played in its third overtime game of the season. 
• The Rams are unbeaten, 1-0-2, in OT this year. 
• Suffolk scooped up its first overtime win since a 4-3 decision over Rivier Feb. 15, 2022. 
• Harrigan potted his third goal of the season. 
• Clark pushed his point streak to four games. In that stretch the senior has two goals and three helpers. 
• Valiquette produced his first goal of the season. The marker was a game-winner, the first of his collegiate career. 
• Webb extended his point streak to three games. In that span, he has notched one goal and four assists.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and Wentworth close out the home-and-home series tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 14 at 3:00 p.m. at Allied Veterans Memorial Rink in Everett, Massachusetts at 3 p.m.