Plymouth Outlasts Owls, 1-0 on O.T.

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Plymouth State's Rider McCallum netted the lone goal, 24 seconds into overtime to spoil the Owls upset bid, as the Panthers posted a 1-0 MASCAC men's ice hockey win over Westfield State at a capacity-packed Hanaway Rink in Plymouth, N.H., on Saturday evening.

Westfield got 43 saves in a strong performance from first-year goaltender Aiden Winslow, with McCallum's shot initially appearing to be saved, but then trickled across the line under the left pad of Winslow, with the rink erupting in an explosion of teddy bears thrown on to the ice by the capacity crowd that had waited more than 60 minutes to have the chance to toss the bears on ice for charity.

Both teams had their chances in regulation.  Owls captain Cooper Board had a goal wiped off the scoreboard in the first period when it was determined that he was in the crease on the play, then both teams skated away 5-on-3 power play chances in the second period.

In the third, Plymouth peppered Winslow with 20 shots on goal, and he stopped them all, including a 3-on-1 rush with 90 seconds left in regulation, and another from a sharp angle on the right side with 10 seconds to play.

Westfield's Emile Pichette was thwarted twice by Panthers goalie Brandon Shantz, first on a blast from the left point with 3:52 left in the third, and again, this time from point-blank range with 51 seconds remaining.

In the OT, Westfield won the face off and had the first rush but were unable to get a shot on goal, Plymouth answered with a rush of their own with Connor Tait ringing a shot off the post before the puck found it's way back to McCallum for the winner.

Westfield dips to 4-6 and 1-3 in the league with the loss, while Plymouth improves to 7-3 and 5-0 in the MASCAC.

Shantz finished with 23 saves for the Panthers, who were named the favorite to win the league in the preseason coaches poll.  The Panthers were listed as 'receiving votes' in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll, implying a 19^th-in-the-nation ranking.

Westfield's sticks have gone cold of late, with Owls being kept off the scoreboard for two straight conference games, and eight straight periods since Christopher Miraldo found the back of the net on Nov. 26.

The Owls will take the ice one more time before breaking for final exams, traveling to Worcester to face Assumption College on Thursday in what is now a 7:20 p.m. start.