Hockey to Ring in New Year at Franklin Pierce Saturday

BOSTON – Ready to open the second half of the season, the Suffolk hockey team will do so against Franklin Pierce Saturday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m.  

SOCIALIZE
Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics by connecting with the Rams on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #RamNation for an insider's look at Suffolk's teams and student-athletes.

LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk hockey team was stalled by Franklin Pierce, 5-4, Saturday evening at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink thanks to a pair of goals and one assist from the Ravens' sophomore Jonathan Haun.

MORE READING: Hockey Stalled by Franklin Pierce, 5-4

RUN DOWN ON THE RAMS

• Suffolk looks to avenge a 5-4 set-back to Franklin Pierce that had the Rams finish first semester 7-3-2 overall.
• The Rams have the surefire ability to spread the puck around as three Rams have amounted 10 or more points while 12 have multiple goals scored. The 42 total goals are fourth in the ECAC Northeast through the first half of the year as well. Justin Selep leads the way with his team-best eight assists, adding six goals for a program high 14 points. Danyil Medvedev put in a team-high seven goals, adding in five helpers for 12 points. Freshman sensation Justin Holliday has four goals and six assists for 10 points so far.
• In net, Suffolk returns one of the better goaltenders in the conference in Brandon Smolarek. In 11 starts this season, the senior has allowed 30 goals (2.80 GAA), but has 323 saves for a .915 save percentage to earn a 6-2-2 mark. Kevin Venturuso boasts a 1-1 record in three appearances, allowing four goals (2.85 GAA) and stopping 39 attempts.

FLYING WITH THE RAVENS

• Looking to turn things around in 2016, Franklin Pierce enters the weekend with a 2-10. The Ravens are 0-3 on home ice this season, versus 2-7 on the road, including its last outing at the University of New England (L, 5-3). Its two wins this year have come at Daniel Webster (3-1) and Suffolk (5-4).
• In the offensive zone, the Raves, which score 1.92 goals per game, are led by three underclassmen and one vetertan in sophomores, Johnathan Haun and Brad Riccardi, freshman Sean Gargin and junior Connor Mauro. Haun has a team-best five goals, adding four assists for a team-high nine points.  Mauro has dished out five assists, so far the best on the squad, with two goals for seven points. Another potent threat is Gargin, who has four goals and three assists, while Riccardi's seven points mirror Gargin's.
• The three-headed monster of Tom McGuckin, Etienne Roy and Kyle Moran guard the pipes for Franklin Pierce. McGuckin has seen the most action for the Ravens. In eight appearances, McGuckin has allowed 30 goals, while making 245 saves and a 1-5-0 record. Moran is 1-3, allowing nine goals with 87 saves, while Roy is 0-2, with 12 scores against and 79 stops.

RIGHT ON, ROOKIES
The freshman class has made a significant impact for Suffolk this season. Rookie forward Justin Holliday's 10 points off four goals and three assists, sit third on the team. Tommy Bishop's eight points (3-5-8) rank fourth on the team, while his forward counterparts of Nick Mosher (2-4-6) and Connor Parent (4-2-6) each have six points. Brendan Heinze has scored three goals and handed out one helper while Mikhail Bryan rounds out the rookies with points as the defenseman has dished out two assists.

As a whole, the Class of 2019 accounts for 36.1 percent of the Rams' offense with 16 goals and 23 assists.

SHOW STOPPER
Brandon Smolarek has stood tall for Suffolk between the pipes and is a major reason why the Rams are 7-3-2 this season. The senior netminder has turned away 323 attempts, the fifth most among ECAC Northeast goalies. Smoalrek boasts a .280 goals-againts average and .915 save percentage, which both sit seventh in the league statistics.

The Chesterfield, Michigan native steered away 46 shots against Salve Regina November 4, the most by a Suffolk keeper since junior Kevin Venturoso stopped 52 attempts against Tufts January 8, 2014.

Smolarek's career total is now 17 shy of 2,000 saves, a milestone that was reached by just one other Ram since 1999-00, Jeff Ross '11 who owns Suffolk's all-time saves record with 2,799.

A HEAPIN' HELPIN' OF HELPERS
The Rams have done well to spread the puck around with 11 scorers registering multiple goals, led by Danyil Medvedev's seven and Justin Selep's six. On 42 total goals this season, Suffolk has racked up 66 assists, led by Selep's eight. Tyler Heineman, Justin Holliday and Simon Leahy have passed out six handouts each.

GAME-WINNING GANG
Four of Suffolk's seven game-winning goals this season have been scored by upperclassmen with the remaining three coming off the sticks of first-years. Junior Justin Selep and freshman Justin Holliday each have two game-winning tallies, while senior Zack Capozza, junior Stanton Turner and freshman Nick Mosher all have game-winning scorers to their credit.

UP NEXT
Saturday's contest opens a five-game road stretch as the Rams stay on the road Tuesday, Jan. 12 when they visit Tufts for a 7 p.m. game.