Hockey Season Ends in Conference Semifinals

WESTFIELD, Mass. –  Top seeded Plymouth State got two goals from Myles Abbate as the Panthers topped #4 seed Westfield State, 6-0 in the MASCAC semifinals at the Hanaway Rink in Plymouth, N.H. on Wednesday evening.

Plymouth, ranked number 10 in the nation in NCAA Division III, improves to 22-3-1 on the season, while the Owls' season comes to a close at 11-14-2.

The two teams skated to a 0-0 draw through one period, though Plymouth held a lopsided 18-4 advantage in shots on goal.

One of Westfield's best chances came late in the first period when a giveaway below the circles resulted in a quick chance for Nick Coppola, whose wrister was gloved away by Plymouth goaltender Brendahn Brawley.

Plymouth finally got on the board midway through the second period on their 31st shot of the game, in a bizarre occurrence as the butt end of the stick of Owls' goalie Valtteri Valtonen got caught up in the side netting of the goal and couldn't be freed.   Defenseman Tom Skold handed his stick to Valtonen, who was eventually beaten by a tip from Will Redick in front of the net on a shot from the blue line from Niks Krollis.

The Panthers added a pair of goals just 16 seconds apart, the first from Myles Abbate off of good puck movement from Redick, then Redick fed Connor Tait from behind the net at the 14:37 mark of the second for the 3-0 lead.

Plymouth held a 42-9 disparity in sits on goal through two periods.

Westfield's Jojo Carbone was stoned on a 2-on-1 breakaway just a minute in the 3^rd period, as Brawley stopped Carbone's initial shot from the right side and dropped the pads to stymie his point blank follow-up attempt as well.

The Panthers tacked on a fourth goal on a beautiful crossing pass from Redick to Abbate for the goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway.

Cameron Patton and Jacob St. Laurin added late goals for Plymouth for the final margin.  The Panthers out-shot the Owls 60-13 in the game and held a 36-21 advantage in face-offs won.

Valtonen did all he could to backstop the Owls with 48 saves on 53 Panthers shots on goal before he gave way to Kevin Chandler halfway through the third period.

Brawley made 13 saves in goal for the Panthers to earn the shutout.

Plymouth State, which was 18-0 vs. MASCAC competition in the regular season, will host #2 seed Worcester State, a 5-4 winner over #6 Salem State in the other semifinal earlier today, on Saturday in the league's championship game with an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament on the line.

The Panthers have won 23 straight games vs. MASCAC foes dating back to last season.   Westfield was the last team to upend the Panthers, in a Tuesday matinee on February 15, 2022.