Boston, MA-Sophomore forward Evan Romeo netted the game-winning goal and added an assist to lead the Castleton State College men's ice hockey team over host University of Massachusetts Boston, 4-3, today in an ECAC East contest. The Beacons fall to 8-10-1 overall and 3-9-1 in ECAC East play, while the Spartans run their unbeaten streak to four in a row and improve to 7-10-2 and 5-6-2.
Romeo's game-winner came on the power play when sophomore forwards Steve Culbertson and Jeff Alexander set him up at 7:31 of the third period. The goal capped three unanswered scores to close out the game for Castleton State College.
Freshman defenseman Brett Calhoun took a feed from freshman forward Dennis Zak and potted his third goal of the season to open the third period and give UMass Boston a 3-1 margin just 1:22 into the final period. Alexander answered just 1:32 later with his sixth goal of the season on the power play for the Spartans at 2:54 and Culbertson tallied his sixth goal of the year as well, on a helper from junior forward Ryan Bartlett and Romeo, to pull them even at 3-3 with 4:55 gone in the third period.
Freshman forward David Lun opened the scoring for the Beacons with his first career short-handed goal coming on an assist from sophomore blueliner Steve Ebbole at 5:03 of the first period for a 1-0 edge. Castleton countered when freshman defenseman Omar Pacha found freshman forward Stuart Stefan for his eighth goal of the year with just 26 seconds left in the first period to knot the game at 1-1.
Freshman forward Eric Tufman put UMass Boston ahead on the power play with his team-leading 14th goal of the season, courtesy of an assist from sophomore forward Kris Kranzky and freshman forward Matt Atsoff at 9:23 of the second period to make it 2-1.
Sophomore goaltender Ryan Donovan turned away 37 shots for the Beacons, while junior goalie Jay Seals made 31 saves to earn the victory for the Spartans.
UMass Boston will be in action again on Friday, February 8 when it travels to Manchester, NH for an ECAC East tilt at Saint Anselm College at 7:00 pm, while Castleton hosts Salem State College on February 8 at 7:00 pm.
