Oct. 31, 2003
In a roller-coaster hockey game filled with numerous lead changes, the Endicott Gulls bounced back strong to salvage a 6-6 tie with Western Connecticut State University. The Gulls wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, with Ryan Foley lighting the lamp only a minute into the game. However, The Colonials regrouped and started to control the play, tying the game and then going ahead on a pair of scores less than two minutes apart by Captain Dan Hennessy.
The Gulls' Casey Marini tied things up mid-way through the second period, while senior goalie Jared Ballou kept the Colonials at bay. WCSU's Brian Gordon took advantage of a screen in front of Ballou to put the Colonials up, 3-2, with 3:24 to go in the period, but Endicott's Mark Vaughan got the equalizer at 18:44, setting the stage for the third period fireworks.
WCSU's Hennessy completed his hat trick, putting the Colonials in front 4-3, right off the period's opening face-off. The Colonials stretched their lead to 5-3 on a quick strike by Geoff Dumas. The Gulls, showing some grit, refused to concede the game and stormed back on goals by Mike Spellman and an unassisted tally by Jason Fall after the Colonials had killed off several Endicott power plays. With the score knotted at 5-5, the Colonials' Gordon took advantage of an Endicott defensive lapse to get his second goal of the game past Ballou. However, Ballou bricked up the Gull net for the remainder of the game, and a minute after Gordon's goal, Endicott's Vaughan got his second of the match, bringing the score dead even, 6-6. Neither team could score in the sudden death overtime.
The Gulls were led by Vaughan's two goals and three points, while Fall, Foley, Derek Gagnon, and Joe Dudek each rung up a pair. Ballou, in his second start of the season, registered 41 saves, including four in overtime, to help preserve the point. On Halloween night, Oct. 31, the Gulls are again on the road, traveling to Rhode Island College for a Friday night game before returning home to Pingree for a Saturday night match-up against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.
FINIS
