Boston, MA-Senior forward Ryan Singer (Kamloops, B.C.) scored with 1:56 remaining in regulation to snap a 5-all tie and lift the Wentworth Institute of Technology hockey team to a semester-ending 7-5 win over Castleton State in a non-league contest played at Matthews Arena.
The Leopards broke the ice first when sophomore forward Russ Hanson (Braintree, Mass.) scored from freshman forwards Andrew Affronti (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Michael O'Brien (Royersford, Pa.) at the 3:15 mark of the opening stanza. Hanson gave Wentworth a 2-0 lead when he scored an unassisted tally on a breakaway at 13:16. The Leopards their lead to 3-0 at 14:52 on a power play goal from sophomore forward Dave Lewandowski (Glenmore, Pa.).
Castleton State would trim the lead to 3-1 when sophomore forward Ross Carmichael (Jacobstown, N.J.) fed classmate Brandon Heck (Forrestburg, Alberta) with 3:48 remaining in the period. The Spartans would open the second period with a shorthanded goal when sophomore goalie Jeff Swanson (Grand Haven, Mich.) fed senior defenseman Joe Huchko (Congers, N.Y.) at 8:38 and then tie the game at 3-all when freshman forward Jeff Alexander (Gilbert, Ariz.) re-directed a shot from sophomore defenseman Mike Anderson (Oshkosh, Wis.) at the 13:19 mark.
One minute and 18 seconds later Wentworth would take a 4-3 lead when senior forward Matt Buono (Ashburnham, Mass.) won a face-off and slid the puck to sophomore forward Stephen Owens (Boston, Mass.) who found the back of the net. Sophomore defenseman Rob Pagani (Spencerport, N.Y.) recorded his first collegiate goal, assisted by Singer and Lewandowski, at 16:02 to give the Leopards a 5-3 lead heading into the third period of play.
The Spartans mounted their second comeback of the afternoon with a pair of goals less than six minutes apart. Sophomore forward Ryan Bartlett (Brunswick, Maine) scored from Alexander and junior defenseman Travis Martell (Kelowna, B.C.) at 7:03 to close the gap to 5-4, and then freshman forward Eric Curtis (Rockford, Mich.) tallied a power play goal at 13:21 to tie the game at 5-all.
For the second time this week the Leopards would get the game-winning goal with under two minutes left. Tuesday night against Salem State, Lewandowski provided the heroics, and he and freshman forward Jeff Olitch (Calgary, Alberta) would factor into Singer's fifth goal of the season. Down a man due to a penalty call, Castleton pulled sophomore goalie Jay Seals (Alma, Mich.), who came on to start the third period), to even things out. However, freshman defenseman Martin Winzer (Nuremberg, GERMANY) was able to break up the puck and feed Owens who would round out the scoring with an empty-net goal at 19:26.
Freshman Justin Marriott (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) made 24 saves for the Leopards, who improve to 6-4-2 on the season. Seals takes the loss for the Spartans (4-2-2), making 13 saves in 19:51 of work. Swanson played the first 40:00, allowing five goals on 15 shots.
