Boston, Mass. - The Central Maine Community College hockey team could not overcome a sleepy start at Murphy Memorial Arena on Friday night, falling in a 3-0 first period hole en route to a heartbreaking 4-2 to Wentworth Institute of Technology.
The Mustangs headed to the shores of south Boston looking to improve on a 1-3-0 start but would come out of the gates sluggishly. Josh Benoit would put the Leopards ahead just 3:47 into the contest, scooping up a loose puck in front and slotting it pass Mustangs goaltender Ben Feldman, who was making his second consecutive start. Max Ward and Collin Gallagher notched assists on the play.
"It wasn't the start we imagined," said Mustangs head coach Matt Buotte. "We got our footing pretty good after that. It was just that ten seconds that killed us. It was one shift that cost us the entire game and that's what hurts so badly about this one."
The aforementioned shift came towards the end of the first period. The Leopards would strike twice in a nine second span to extend their lead to 3-0 on goals by Ryan Carberry and Colin Paquin. The goals came with 5:53 and 5:44 remaining in the first, both off of innocuous plays off of the rush.
"You just can't take shifts off in this league," continued Buotte. "One shift. Ten entire seconds. It stings."
Central Maine would strike before the end of the first period as they attempted to mount a comeback. Warren Karlberg would notch his third goal of the season, a power play tally coming on a redirect of a Shawn Sullivan wrist shot through traffic. Sean Coleman continued his strong start with the secondary assist. The Mustangs finished the first period trailing 13-7 in shots on goal and 3-1 on the scoreboard.
They would come out with a purpose at the beginning of the second, with shift after shift of pressure in the offensive zone. They would crack Leopards netminder Anthony Visconti 3:55 into the frame, with captain Trevor Roche potting his first of the season on a one-timer in the slot off a Trevor Olivier feed. Karlberg would add his second point of the night on the play. The team would continue to apply heavy pressure and saw several near misses, including Sean Coleman ringing the post as time expired in the middle frame. The teams would head to the dressing rooms separated by just one goal after two, setting the stage for a dramatic third period.
The third period saw plenty of drama, including a Trevor Roche breakaway that was denied and a Shawn Sullivan opportunity blocked in the waning seconds. The Leopards would ice the game with 17 seconds left to play, with Josh Benoit adding his second of the night into a gaping cage to salt away a 4-2 victory for the hosts.
Ben Feldman was magnificent in defeat, stopping 36 of 39 shots. The Mustangs went 1-for-10 on the power play in defeat while thwarting all five Wentworth attempts. The Mustangs fell to 1-4-0 in defeat but will get another crack at the Leopards when they travel to Auburn on Sunday, November 17th for a 4:00 contest.
"It's exciting to be able to get them again so quickly," said Buotte. "It hurts to have played so well and lost. We just need to keep going and keep digging. The wins will come if we keep our heads down, stick to the process, and keep believing in each other."
