Westfield State’s Adam Baldassarre trails a Plymouth State player during the “Salute the Troops Day” MASCAC game in Plymouth, N.H. (Photo courtesy of Plymouth State)
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman Mike Economos (Crystal Lake, Ill.) tallied two goals and an assist and classmate Ian McGilvrey (Omaha, Neb.) collected four assists Saturday afternoon as Plymouth State defeated Westfield State, 6-4, in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) hockey action.
The Panthers out-shot the visitors by a 49-28 count, but senior goaltender Eddie Davey (Orangeville, Ont.) made 43 saves to keep Westfield in the game. Through one-third of the MASCAC slate, PSU is 4-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play while Westfield is 4-6 overall and 4-2 in the MASCAC.
Plymouth State led 3-2 after one period of play. Westfield senior Adam Baldassarre (Anmore, B.C.) and Plymouth sophomore Colt Smelstor (Fairfax, Vt.) traded goals 17 seconds apart to open the scoring, with each scoring their first of the season.
Sophomore Andrew Wigg (Lantz, N.S.) pulled the Panthers ahead with a power play goal with six minutes remaining before Westfield senior Billy Miller (Morgan Hill, Calif.) and Economos exchanged goals late
The Panthers had a chance to add to their lead with a minute to go in the first frame but Davey stopped a penalty shot by Panther sophomore Zach Fox (Sandown, N.H.).
PSU tacked on two goals in a 54-second span early in the second period to push the margin to 5-2. Freshman Ryan Callahan (Londonderry, N.H.) made a nice move around the defense and snuck a shot inside the left post, and sophomore Josh Woody (Sunderland, Md.) poked the puck away from the Owls to create his own breakaway, and finished the play by snapping a wrist shot over the goalie’s shoulder to the top right corner of the goal.
Westfield State got one back at the eight-minute mark of the second period when senior Tyler Prendergast (Richmond Hill, Ont.) broke in alone and scored an unassisted marker.
Each team added one goal in the final period. Economos added his second of the game and third of the season at the 1:22 mark, and sophomore P.J. McCadden (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) tallied a power play goal at 10:55.
Junior goalie Zac Enstrom (South Windsor, Conn.) recorded his first career victory in the Panther net, making 24 saves.
PSU wraps up the semester’s action next Saturday, Dec. 14, with a non-conference game at Castleton State College. Westfield State plays a non-conference encounter Wednesday at Stonehill College.
