Recap by student-staff writer Colin Struckman

WINCHENDON, Mass. (11/12/24) -  The Franklin Pierce Ravens men's ice hockey team couldn't keep up with the Framingham State Rams on Tuesday night, falling 6-2 in non-conference play at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.  

Score: Framingham State 6, Franklin Pierce 2 

Records: Franklin Pierce (0-4-0, 0-2-0 NE-10), Framingham State (1-3-0, 0-0-0 MASCAC) 

Location: Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, Winchendon, M.A. 

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The Rams wasted no time attacking in the 1st period, striking first just 1:05 into the contest. Robert Bernier dished a pass to Scott Bugarin who ripped a shot from the left circle past freshman netminder Jeffrey Reda (Larchmont, N.Y.) to take a 1-0 lead.  

• Just 5:16 later, the Rams tacked onto their lead. Jeremy McDonald fired a shot on goal that was stopped by Jeffrey Reda, but squeaked free for a rebound in front as Robert Bernier tucked it away for the 2-0 lead. Ravens Head Coach Ken Gernander then decided to pull Jeffrey Reda for junior goaltender Jeremy Connor (Hazlet, N.J.) 

• The change in net helped breathe some life into the Ravens. With 6:58 remaining in the period, freshman forward Sam Mitchell (Pittsburgh, Pa.) stripped the puck from a defender and raced toward the goal, sliding it into the net for the finish. The goal cut the Rams deficit in half, making it a 2-1 game.  

• The Ravens kept building off this momentum, striking at the tail end of the period with just :47 seconds remaining. Sophomore forward Nick Fish (Ashland, Mass.) connected with senior defenseman Wyatt De Lise (York, Maine) who fed a beautiful centering pass to junior forward Ike Frankel (San Diego, Calif.) who tucked it in on the power play to tie the score 2-2. This was the Ravens first power play goal of the season.  

• The Rams dominated play in the 2nd period and regained the lead with 4:22 left in the frame. Sam Larkin ripped a shot right off the face-off that snuck past Jeremy Connor as the Rams took the 3-2 lead.  

• The 3rd period didn't treat the Ravens kindly. Johnny Baker capitalized off a feed from Brady Rossbach to take a 4-2 Rams lead. Then, Nathan Gines scored a pair of goals to secure the dominant 6-2 win over the Ravens on the road.  

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS: 

• The Rams outshot the Ravens 50-22. 

• The Ravens went 1-2 on the power play, the Rams went 0-4. 

• Junior Jeremy Connor came in relief of Jeffrey Reda and suffered the loss, but made a remarkable 31 saves. Reda made 13 saves.  

NEXT UP FOR THE RAVENS: The Ravens travel to Worcester, M.A. for a weekend series against the Assumption Greyhounds in Northeast-10 play. Puck drop on Friday (11/15) is at 7:20 p.m.