Seahawks and Wildcats tie in a battle of goaltenders

SEAHAWK MEN'S ICE HOCKEY RESULTS

Salve Regina 1, Johnson & Wales 1
Portsmouth, R.I. - Portsmouth Abbey
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Summary
For the third straight game the Salve Regina University men's hockey team battled to overtime, tonight drawing with Johnson & Wales University 1-1 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action.

Series and Streaks
This was the 33rd meeting between the two teams and the first ever tie in the series. The Wildcats still own a 18-14-1 record in the all-time series however the Seahawks have gone 9-2-1 in the last twelve meetings.

Three Stars of the Game
1 – Salve Regina sophomore Blake Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) - made 36 saves, most importantly some in the games first few minutes where the Wildcats threatened to score early. Wojtala made a sensational stop, reaching behind himself to stop a puck that had gone five-hole.
2 – Johnson & Wales senior Joey Ballmer (Kalamazoo, Mich.) - made 38 stops in between the pipes for the Wildcats.
3 – Salve Regina senior Evan Schultz (Durham, N.H.) - scored first for the Seahawks on a wraparound. 

Key Stat of the Game
Both teams penalty killing units were excellent. The Seahawks were 0-for-2 on the powerplay while they held the Wildcats to 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

Turning Point
Wojtala's superb goaltending carried the Seahawks through a rocky first period, making some sensational stops after turnovers in the defensive zone. Both teams struck in the second period and the game remained tied 1-1 in the third. Both goaltenders put on a show, stopping every shot they faced. The Seahawks had a number of chances late in the third and in overtime with extended possessions inside the offensive zone. After Wojtala turned away a number of quality chances for the Wildcats early in the extra frame it was Ballmer's turn to rise to the occasion. The Seahawks had thirty seconds of zone time to finish out the period, but could not get one past Ballmer and the teams left the ice tied 1-1.

Quick Hits

• This was the third straight overtime game the Seahawks have played. They have gone 1-0-2 during that stretch, tying Nichols 1-1, defeating Wentworth 3-2 in overtime, and drawing again tonight with the Wildcats by another 1-1 final.
• Three of the Seahawks four ties have been 1-1 scores.
• The Seahawks outshot the Wildcats 39-37 in the game.
• Schultz's goal came when Jack Billings (Oak Lawn, Ill.) forced a turnover deep in the Wildcats zone and whipped the puck to the front of the net hoping for Jonathan Felteau (Peabody, Mass.) to tip it in. Instead it went wide off a deflection, but came to Schultz behind the net. He snuck his way to the left side and wrapped the puck around the pipe before Ballmer could get over to cover.
• Ryan Sete (Jackson, Mich.) scored the only goal for the Wildcats off a turnover in the Seahawks zone. Alan Boozer (Detroit, Mich.) picked off an outlet pass and dropped it off for Sete who snapped a shot past the outstretched glove of Wojtala and just inside the pipe to tie the game in the second period.

Next up
Salve Regina (13-7-4, 10-4-3 CCC) – Saturday, February 18 at Western New England, 2:40 p.m.
Johson & Wales (9-11-3, 5-9-2 CCC) – Saturday, February 18 at Suffolk 7:30 p.m.