Sara Senesac
Sports Editor
The Rams’ ice hockey team ended their season last week with back-to-back MASCAC face offs.
They traveled to Salem State to take on the Vikings Feb. 20.
The first period saw the most action, with four goals coming from four different players.
Salem’s Richard Coyle secured the first power play goal of the game with a slap shot off a pass from Luke Pepin.
Ten minutes later, junior Michael Gennello sent one into the top corner of the net to tie the score at one.
In the final two minutes of the period, Salem took the lead once more, but Framingham responded quickly.
Junior Soren Colstrup capitalized on a Rams power play and snuck one in to tie the game at two heading into the second period.
After a scuffle about eight minutes into the second period, junior Walker Hamilton found an opening in front of Salem’s net, and sent one in to take the Drst Rams’ lead of the game.
Three minutes later, Gennello found his opportunity once more, and managed to score his second goal of the game, stretching Framingham’s lead to 4-2.
The Vikings squeezed one more goal in before the end of the second, leaving the Rams still up by one going into the third.
Salem fought back in the third, and managed to score one more goal to tie the game at four.
Neither team was able to score again during regulation time, forcing an overtime battle.
There was a lot of back and forth between both teams in the extra period, but neither team was able to capitalize again. The game ended in a 4-4 tie between Framingham and Salem.
Genello led the team with two goals, while freshman Blake Carlson secured 32 saves in net.
The Rams then traveled to take on the Westfield State Owls for their final match of the season Feb. 22.
Framingham took the lead within the first two minutes of the game when junior Jack Pierson managed to send one in off a rebound.
The rest of the first period went by quietly with neither team seeing much action.
Westfield got on the board about nine minutes into the second when Robert Neuwirth managed to tie the game at one.
Sophomore Bryan Whelan responded for the Rams less than a minute later, whizzing by the Owls’ defense and bouncing one in of the goalie’s glove.
Less than a minute into the third, Whelan attacked once more, scoring off a loose puck, and giving the Rams a 3-1 lead.
Whelan said, “I couldn’t have scored without the hard work from Ryan Paul and Matt Siegel in the corner to get the puck free. They are both very talented players and fun to play with.”
Framingham saw an exciting next six minutes, where two di<erent Rams managed to score.
Junior Matthew Siegel and Hamilton both secured goals of their own, forcing a 5-1 lead over Westfield.
Westfield exchanged their goalie for the last 13 minutes of play, but was not able to respond with another goal of their own for the remainder of play.
The Rams outshot the Owls 39-31 and returned home from their last game with a 5-1 victory over Westfield.
Whelan said, “The win was an all around good game from each and everyone on the team.
Going in – knowing that Worcester had won and taken our playoff hopes from us – we could have easily mailed it in and gave up. Instead, we stuck together and ended up winning against a tough opponent.
“For the season, we had ups and downs, but I feel the team stuck together and battled for the whole year, and didn’t give up,” he added. “We played an all around game, and we put every piece together that needed to be, and came out with the win. ... That makes this o<season much more fun – knowing what this team is capable of doing in order to have a good year next season.”
The win allowed them to end their season on a high note after coming in at 3-13-2 in the MASCAC and 4- 18-3 overall.