Seahawks sweep season series from Gulls with 6-2 win

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SEAHAWK MEN'S ICE HOCKEY RESULTS
Salve Regina 6, Endicott 2
Portsmouth, Rhode Island - Portsmouth Abbey
Saturday, January 27, 2018

Summary
The #10/11 Salve Regina University men's ice hockey team defeated #4/6 Endicott College by a 6-2 final Saturday night to complete a season sweep of the Gulls in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action.

Series and Streaks
The Seahawks own a 5-2 record in the all-time series and have won two in a row now over the Gulls. This was the first time in the history of the series that the home team won.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Salve Regina junior Blake Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) made 39 saves to improve to 15-4-2 between the pipes for the Seahawks.
2. Salve Regina senior Colin Clapton (Canton, Mass.) scored twice, added an assist, and was an instrumental penalty killer.
3. Salve Regina sophomore Jack Billings (Oak Lawn, Ill.) scored and handed out two assists. Billings currently ranks sixth in the nation in points per game scoring.

Key Stat of the Game
Special Teams was the difference in the game as the Seahawks went 3-for-6 on the powerplay while the Gulls were held to 2-for-7

Turning Point
The Seahawks led 1-0 late in the third period, but the Gulls were pressuring and if it weren't for Blake Wojtala making some spectacular saves, the game could have very well been tied. After a stop from Wojtala the Seahawks broke back down the ice and Erik Udhal (East Walpole, Mass.) shielding a defender, slipped down the left side and wristed a shot home for a 2-0 lead. A Gulls penalty gave the Seahawks a powerplay with 2:10 remaining and Jack Billings converted the Seahawks second powerplay goal of the night to break open the game and give the Seahawks a 3-0 after two periods.

Quick Hits

• The Seahawks narrowly outshot the Gulls 42-41.
• The Seahawks held the nation's top offense (5.30 goals per game) to two goals, and three goals total in the two-game sweep.
• The Gulls scored two powerplay goals in the third period. First from Jason Kalinowski (Stamford, Conn.) 49 seconds into the third, then again from Ross Olsson (Billerica, Mass.) at 9:25.
• The Gulls pulled the goalie multiple times in the third period to try and get an extra skater on the ice, even doing so during a powerplay to gain a 6-on-4, but could not find the back of the net again, and Colin Clapton ended any suspense with an empty-net goal at 18:27 to seal the game for the Seahawks.
• Justin Ketola (Ekso, Minn.) started the game for the Gulls and surrendered three goals and made 26 saves in 40:00 minutes of action to fall to 7-3-2 on the season, before being lifted for Mark Specia (Ringwood, N.J.) who logged 17:12 of off and on action in the third period while making 10 saves and allowing two more scores. 

Next Up
Salve Regina (15-4-2, 10-2-2 CCC) will host Johnson & Wales on Friday, February 2 (7 p.m.) in a rematch of last season's quarterfinal matchup.
Endicott (15-4-2, 11-3-0 CCC) travels to face Suffolk on Friday, February 2 (7 p.m.) in another CCC matchup.