#1 Fitchburg State Hosts #5 UMass Dartmouth

Falcons battle Corsairs Thursday night at 7 p.m. for MASCAC Championship berth

FITCHBURG, Mass. (March 3, 2010) - Top-seeded Fitchburg State will host fifth-seeded UMass Dartmouth in MASCAC semifinal action on Thursday, March 4th beginning at 7 p.m. in the Wallace Civic Center at Fitchburg State College.

Fitchburg State earned a bye into Thursday's semifinal after capturing the 2009-10 MASCAC regular season crown with an 18-5-1 mark (14-4-0 MASCAC) and 28 points. The winner of Thursday's contest will advanced to the MASCAC Championship on Saturday, March 6th, and will face the winner of Plymouth State University and Salem State College at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Throughout the year, Fitchburg State held a 2-1 advantage in the season-long series with UMass Dartmouth, posting a pair of wins in the first two meetings. The Falcons opened the three-game series with a 5-3 victory on the road and a 3-1 triumph at home, before falling, 6-3 in their final regular season contest. Senior captain Andrew Hutton (Brewster, Mass./Boston Harbor Wolves) and junior Chris Riggs (Sewell, N.J./Fort Vancouver Pioneers) paced the Falcons against the Corsairs with five points apiece (2g, 3a), while junior goaltender Robert Vorse (Leominster, Mass./Bay State Breakers) notched 61 saves with two starts in net.

This season, Fitchburg State witnessed one of its most successful campaigns led by head coach Dean Fuller. Fuller, the 2009-10 MASCAC Coach of the Year, guided the Falcons to their first conference regular season title since the 1998-99 season, producing four All-Conference players throughout the course. Hutton, Vorse and senior Chris Brecken (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) headlined the list of honorees with All-Conference first team honors, while senior Pat Dolan (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Jr. Blues) was named to the All-Conference second team.

Fitchburg State has boasted one of the most high-powered offenses in the nation, ranking first in the MASCAC with 117 goals scored, including 4.68 goals per game. Forward Andrew Hutton ranks first on the Falcons squad with 33 points (11g, 22a) while line-mate Chris Riggs ranks a close second with 32 (13g, 19a).

One of the bright spots for the Falcons this season has been its incoming freshman class as rookie Chris Costigan (Salem, N.H./Northern Cyclones) has added 29 points on 11 goals and 18 helpers. Costigan currently ranks tenth in the MASCAC in scoring, while classmate John Vets (Hamden, Conn./Hartford Jr. Wolfpack) and first-year forward Kevin McCready (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Wagner) are 12th overall with 12 markers this season.

Between the pipes, Fitchburg State holds the top tandem in the MASCAC with Robert Vorse and sophomore Bobby Leiser (Monroe, N.Y./New York Applecore). Vorse has led the Falcons with a 3.25 goals against average and .889 save percentage, while totaling team-highs in saves (367), wins (10), and minutes played (850). Leiser has also been solid this season, ranking first on the squad with a 3.19 GAA, .910 save percentage and a .818 winning percentage (9-2-0).

On the visitors' side, UMass Dartmouth enters this year's conference tournament as the fifth-seed, posting 11 victories overall and five in league action under Head Coach John Rolli. This season, the Corsairs are led by junior forward Joe Hill's (Newburyport, Mass.) eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points. Classmate Todd Bartelson (Pepperell, Mass./Valley Jr. Warriors) has also been strong with 26 points on 14 scores and 12 helpers, while sophomore Giancarlo Capodanno (Mountainside, N.J./New Jersey Rockets) has added 13 markers and nine dishes.

In net, the Corsairs are sparked by All-Conference goalie Jon Dryjowicz-Burek (Ludlow, Mass./Springfield Jr. Falcons), who has registered ten victories and a 3.11 GAA. Dryjowicz-Burek has seen action in 22 of Dartmouth's 26 games, logging 1256 minutes with 570 saves and a .898 save percentage.  

This season, the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference expanded to include two new affiliate members in the sport of men's ice hockey this year, welcoming in UMass Dartmouth and Plymouth State to compete along with Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Salem State, Westfield State and Worcester State. After two years, the MASCAC tournament champion will be eligible to receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championships.

2010 MASCAC Men's Ice Hockey Championships

THURSDAY, MARCH 4TH - SEMI-FINALS

GAME #3: #5 UMass Dartmouth (11-14-1) at #1 Fitchburg State (18-5-1) 7 p.m.
GAME #4: #3 Plymouth State (17-8-1) at #2 Salem State (13-8-4), 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6TH - CHAMPIONSHIP (AT HIGHEST REMAINING SEED) 

GAME #5: Winner GAME 3 vs. Winner GAME 4, TBA