#4 Fitchburg State Stuns #1 UMass Dartmouth, 4-3

Falcons advance to championship tilt vs. Salem State on Saturday afternoon

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (March 3, 2011) – Fourth-seeded Fitchburg State stunned  top-seeded UMass Dartmouth, 4-3 in double-overtime semifinal action of the 2010-11 MASCAC Tournament this evening.  

Fitchburg State (17-9-1, 9-8-1 MASCAC) will advance to Saturday's championship match to face second-seeded Salem State University. UMass Dartmouth concludes its season with an overall record of 18-7-1 and a 13-4-1 mark in the MASCAC.

Junior Thomas McAleer (East Islip, Mass./New York Bobcats) netted the game-winning marker at the 8:50 mark of the second overtime period, while senior Robert Vorse (Leominster, Mass./Bay State Breakers) was stellar in net with 37 saves for the Falcons. Both goaltenders were lights out over the final three periods of play, turning away shot after shot as UMass Dartmouth posted a 49-41 margin in targets. Senior Collin Tracy (Medford, Mass./Medford) notched 37 stops for the Corsairs.

Freshman Ryan Hurd (Mound, Minn./Rochester Ice Hawks) put UMass Dartmouth on the board first, hitting home with a glove-side, wrist shot from the right point, but Fitchburg State answered quickly as McAleer hit the back of the net with a back-hander for the equalizer at 7:54. Senior Kevin McCready (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Mohawk CC) gave the visitor a 2-1 edge heading into the first intermission, taking a loose puck in front of the net and connecting for his team-leading 14th goal of the season.

UMass Dartmouth knotted the score early in the second period as junior Rob Dudley (Douglas, Mass./Middlesex School) posted an unassisted marker off a breakaway just 2:25 into the period.  The Corsairs grabbed a 3-2 advantage five minutes later (7:35) as Jason Stahl (Londonderry, N.H./Valley Jr. Warriors) tipped in a Dan Dempsey (Norwell, Mass./Lebanon  Valley) feed from outside, but Fitchburg State responded immediately (8:26) as Trevor Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass./New England Jr. Huskies) moved the game to a 3-3 deadlock with his eighth goal of the year.

In the third period, play remained heated with neither defense bending. Both teams had ample opportunities on net with Fitchburg State holding a 10-8 shot advantage in the period.  Play continued on to a pair of 20 minute extra stanzas, where Fitchburg State would clinch the 4-3 victory in the second extra frame.

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Fitchburg State 4, UMass Dartmouth 3 (2 OT) 

Scoring:
1st Period: UMD: Ryan Hurd (Jason Stahl, Joe Hill), 7:54; FIT: Thomas McAleer (Curtis Nikitas, Travis Bertolotti), 13:24; FIT: Kevin McCready (Cory Callen), 17:54;
2nd Period: UMD: Rob Dudley, 2:25; UMD: Stahl (Dan Dempsey, Hill), 7:35; FIT: Trevor Lawler (Justin Quinn, Callen), 8:26;
3rd Period: none;
OT: none
2OT: McAleer (Shawn Bradley, Andrew Jones), 8:50;
Goaltending: FIT: Robert Vorse (80:00), 46 saves; UMD: Collin Tracy (80:00), 37 saves;
Shots On Goal: FIT: 41; UMD: 49