Carroll, McCormick standout in Seahawk shutout

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. - Salve Regina University senior netminder Frankie McCormick (Peabody, Mass.) saw his first action between the pipes for the 2014-15 Seahawks and posted a shutout with 23 saves in a 4-0 decision over Franklin Pierce University in a non-league men's ice hockey game at the Portsmouth Abbey Ice Rink.

Salve Regina (4-4-2) had power-play goals in the first and third periods and added a pair of even-strength goals in the middle period. Franklin Pierce (2-7-0) remains winless against Division III competition in 2014-15.

The first period sent only one player to the penalty box, Ravens' senior Tim Sullivan (Rye, N.H.) for roughing at 14:24 elapsed. Senior forward Cameron Gaudet (Burlington, Mass.) scored his second goal of the season with 18 seconds left in the power-play opportunity. Matthew Carroll (Hackensack, N.J.) and Lucas Sousa (Billerica, Mass.) assisted on the score.

Salve Regina took its own roughing penalty at 1:58 in the second period and successfully killed that before getting two power-player opportunities midway through the period. Franklin Pierce head coach Jaymie Harrington called a timeout at 11:18, and the Ravens finished the double penalty kill less than a minute later.

Freshman Pat Thompson (Hellertown, Pa.) scored his first collegiate goal at 14:21, with assists from Carroll and sophomore Evan Schultz (Durham, N.H.). Schultz recorded his team-leading and ECAC Northeast-leading 11th assist of the season; his stat line of four goals, 11 assists puts him on top of the league points leaders (15).

Carroll picked up his third assist of the night and sixth of the season on Evan Schmidbauer's (San Diego, Calif.) second-period goal. The 6-foot 3-inch freshman scored his second goal of the season for a 3-0 lead heading into the third.

The Seahawks converted their fourth power-play opportunity in the final period when Schultz stuck his shot past freshman Tom McGuckin (Clayton, N.J.) for a 4-0 lead, seconds after senior Michael Naso (Londonderry, N.H.) won the face-off for Salve Regina. Gaudet and John Scorcia (Hudson, Fla.) assisted on Schultz' fourth goal of the season.

Salve Regina outshot the visitors in each period and overall, 57-to-23. McCormick (1-0-0) stopped all 23 shots he faced while McGuckin (1-1-0) made a season-high 53 saves for the Ravens.

The Seahawks break for exams and Christmas before returning to the ice on Friday, January 2, 2015, hosting Skidmore College. Salve Regina is unbeaten (3-0-1) at the Portsmouth Abbey Ice Rink in 2014-15, and has oustscored its opposition at home this season, 20-5.

The Ravens fall to 3-11-1 all-time in their series with Salve Regina and are winless in their last eight meetings (0-7-1). Franklin Pierce has two more home games sandwiched around a road game before the end of the semester; the Ravens host Suffolk University on Saturday (7:30 p.m.).

Salve Regina improves to 7-20-1 all-time on Friday nights; the Seahawks win on Friday for the first time since 2009.