Fitchburg State Stops Plymouth State, 5-4

Hutton, Riggs and Threlkeld propel Falcons to eighth consecutive victory

FITCHBURG, Mass. (January 30, 2010) - The Fitchburg State ice hockey team registered its eighth straight victory as the Falcons topped Plymouth State College, 5-4 in MASCAC action this evening.

The Falcon line of senior Andrew Hutton (Brewster, Mass./Boston Harbor Wolves), junior Chris Riggs (Sewell, N.J./Fort Vancouver Pioneers) and sophomore Kris Threlkeld (Centerville, Ohio/CD Selects) paced Fitchburg State, combining for seven points in the contest. Hutton led all scorers with a game-high three points (2 goals, 1 assists), while Riggs  (1 goal, 1 assist) and Threlkeld (2 assists) each added two.

Fitchburg State opened the scoring midway through the first as Riggs and Hutton connected for back-to-back scores for the early 2-0 advantage. Riggs found the back of the net for his tenth score of the season at the 12:43 mark, before Hutton closed the period with a successful penalty shot for his eighth marker of the year.

The Falcons continued to maintain its offensive prowess in the second frame, as Hutton connected for the Falcons third consecutive goal at the 13:57 mark. The senior forward collected his ninth goal of the season and second tally of the game off feeds from linemen Threlkeld and Riggs.

Plymouth State did not go quietly however, posting four scores over the final 22 minutes of play, including three in the third period. Freshman Tim Visich (Mount Pleasant, Mich./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) broke the Panthers scoring silence in the second period with his second goal of the season at the 18:13 mark, while Chad Wilhelm (Plymouth, Mass./Green Mountain Glades) added a Plymouth State tally at 9:41 of the third.

The Panthers continued to pressure the Falcons defense down the stretch with a pair of goals from Sean Buckley (Sagamore, Mass./Lawrence Academy) but third period markers from Falcon sophomore Kevin McCready (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Mohawk CC) and freshman Tucker Callen (Annadale, N.J./Wagner) proved to be enough scoring for Fitchburg State's ninth conference victory.

Fitchburg State held a slim 26-24 advantage in shots on target and junior goaltender Robert Vorse (Leominster, Mass./Bay State Breakers) notched 20 saves in net for his seventh win of the year. Senior Aaron Runner (Alpharetta, Ga./Boston Bulldogs) stopped 21 shots for the Panthers.

Fitchburg State (13-3-1, 8-2-0 MASCAC) will hit the ice again Thursday as it hosts Salem State College at 7 p.m. Plymouth State (11-7-0, 7-4-0 MASCAC) will host Westfield State on Thursday at 6 p.m.

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Fitchburg State 5, Plymouth State 4

Scoring
First Period: FIT: Chris Riggs (Andrew Hutton, Kris Threlkeld), 12:43; FIT: Hutton, 19:39;
Second Period: FIT: Hutton (Threlkeld, Riggs), 13:57; PSU: Tim Visich (Chad Wilhelm, Kyle Tobin), 18:13;
Third Period: PSU: Wilhelm (Sean Foley, Visich), 9:41; FIT: Kevin McCready (John Vets, Chris Brecken), 11:02; FIT: Tucker Callen (Patrick Dolan, Andrew Jones), 14:19; PSU: Sean Buckley, 15:18; PSU: Buckley (Richie Zobak, JC Richardson), 15:54;
Goaltending: FIT: Robert Vorse (60:00), 20 saves; PSU: Aaron Runner (59:43), 21 saves;
Shots: FIT: 26; PSU: 24