Western New England College
Men's Ice Hockey News

ECAC Northeast Scores

ECAC Northeast Standings

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005
Plymouth State 3, WNEC 2 (ot)

Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005
Fitchburg State 7, WNEC 2

FITCHBURG, Mass. — Fitchburg State College raced to a 3-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes and coasted to a 7-2 victory over Western New England College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

The Falcons led 7-0 before freshman forward Nick Sampson (Reading, MA) scored at 8:19 of the third period with an assist from senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT).

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) tallied his team high 18th goal of the season at 19:21 with assists from freshman defenseman Nick Klassen (Parker, CO) and senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ).

The Golden Bears fall to 5-15-3 overall and 2-10-2 in the conference.

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005
Framingham State 6, WNEC 2

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Framingham State College scored the first four goals of the game and went on to take a 6-2 victory over Western New England College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

The Golden Bears cut the margin in half following power play goals by sophomore forward Mike Amato (Mt. Laurel, NJ) and senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) at 13:53 and 17:13, respectively, of the second period.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ), and freshman defenseman Nick Klassen (Parker, CO) had assists.

The Rams scored twice in the third period to seal the win.

Western New England College is now 5-14-3 overall and 2-9-2 in the conference.

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005
WNEC 7, Castleton State 5

Kevin Leonard hits 100-point mark

CASTLETON, Vt. — Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) hit the 100-point mark in career scoring with two goals and an assist as Western New England College held on for a 7-5 victory over winless Castleton State College.

Junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) also had two goals and an assist while freshman forward Shawn Longley (Lewiston, ME) contributed three assists. Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) finished with 51 saves in one of the best performances of his career.

With the scored tied 2-2 after the first period, the Golden Bears tallied three consecutive goals for a 5-2 lead after Leonard's 17th goal of the season at 8:10 of the second period.

Castleton State came back and pulled within 6-5 at 12:55 of the third period before Henderson scored an empty net goal with 14 seconds left to seal the win.

Leonard, who has 46 goals and 54 assists in 85 games, is the eighth player in school history to reach 100 points and the first since Dave McKenna (100 points) reached the milestone in 2001.

Western New England College improves its record to 5-13-3 while Castleton State falls to 0-22.

GOLDEN BEARS NOTEBOOK
Monday, Feb. 14, 2005

Western New England College has a busy week with three games, including two against ECAC Northeast opponents.

The Golden Bears visit Castleton State on Tuesday (Feb. 15) in a non-conference game before entertaining Framingham State on Thursday (Feb. 17). WNEC will visit Fitchburg State on Sunday (Feb. 20) in a make-up game from January 22.

Western New England College (4-13-3, 2-8-2) has a 3-3-2 record in its last eight contests to stay in contention for a spot in the ECAC playoffs.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) leads the team with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists. He has 97 career points (44 goals, 53 assists).

Junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) is second with 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) followed by senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) with 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) and senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) with 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists). Senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) has a 2-3-2 record and a 3.60 goals-against-average.

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005
Salve Regina 4, WNEC 1

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Junior forward Peter Collins (Shrewsbury, MA) scored two power play goals, including the game-winner in the second period, as visiting Salve Regina University posted a 4-1 victory over Western New England College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

Collins put the Seahawks ahead 1-0 at the 4:59 mark of the first period before Western New England College senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) tied the contest at the 16:42 mark.

Salve Regina (8-11-1, 5-5-1) then scored three times in the second period and kept the Golden Bears off the board for the final 43 minutes, 18 seconds.

WNEC senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) had an assist giving him 97 career points. Senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) recorded 33 saves as the Golden Bears slipped to 4-13-3 and 2-8-2 in the conference.

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005
WNEC 2, Franklin Pierce 2 (ot)

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College made a nice comeback attempt but had to settle for a 2-2 overtime tie against Franklin Pierce College in a non-conference game.

The Golden Bears trailed 2-0 in the second period before senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) scored his first goal of the season on a power play to cut the margin in half at the 18:37 mark. Junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) tied the contest with his fifth goal of the season at 4:30 of the third period.

Senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) compiled 29 saves in a fine performance while senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) contributed two assists. Junior defenseman Dave Wright (New City, NY) and freshman forward Shawn Longley (Lewiston, ME) also had assists in the game.

Western New England College has a 4-12-3 record, but a 2-1-2 mark in its last five contests.

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005
WNEC 5, Nichols 5 (ot)

AUBURN, Mass. — Western New England College freshman forward Sean Cahill (East Haven, CT) had a goal and two assists, and freshman forward Nick Sampson (Reading, MA) scored twice as Western New England College skated to a 5-5 overtime tie with Nichols College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

Nichols led 3-1 early in the second period before WNEC scored four straight times to take a 5-3 lead following Sampson's second goal at the 14:31 mark. The Bison scored a power play goal and short-handed goal at 15:30 of the third stanza to send the game into overtime.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) added a goal and assist while sophomore forward Mike Amato (Mt. Laurel, NJ) contributed two assists for the Golden Bears who are now 4-12-2 overall and 2-7-2 in the conference.

Western New England College and Nichols are tied for tenth in the ECAC Northeast with six points, a point behind Salve Regina and Suffolk who are tied for eighth.

SENIOR KEVIN LEONARD NAMED WNEC MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-WEEK

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior hockey tri-captain Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) was honored Tuesday (Feb. 8) as the Western New England College Male Athlete-of-the-Week.

Leonard, a forward, scored the game winner on a power play goal at 9:24 of the third period in a 2-1 victory over visiting Suffolk University. He also had an assist on the Golden Bears' first goal that tied the contest at 8:31 of the second period. Leonard leads the squad with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists). Leonard is a business major.

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005
WNEC 2, Suffolk 1

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College needed a big play and senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) delivered by scoring the game winner on a power play goal with 10:36 remaining in the third period as Western New England College posted a 2-1 victory over visiting Suffolk University in an ECAC Northeast game.

After a scoreless first period, Suffolk took a 1-0 lead at the 3:30 mark of the second stanza. Senior forward Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) tied the contest at 8:31 with assists from Leonard and junior defenseman Dave Wright (New City, NY).

Leonard then netted his first game winning shot and team high 14th goal of the season with an assist from Szmeiter. Senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) made 25 saves for the Golden Bears who out-shot the Rams by a 35-25 margin.

The win was the second in three games for Western New England College who improves to 4-12-1 and 2-7-1 in the conference.

Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005
Johnson & Wales 7, WNEC 1

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Ñ Western New England College fell behind early and never caught up in suffering a 7-1 loss against Johnson & Wales University in an ECAC Northeast game played at the Rhode Island Sports Center.

The Wildcats jumped to a 4-0 lead before freshman forward Shawn Longley (Lewiston, ME) put the Golden Bears on the board with his first collegiate goal at 17:55 of the second period. Senior forwards Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) and Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) assisted on the goal.

JWU scored 62 seconds later for a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Sophomore goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) finished with 30 saves.

Western New England College falls to 3-12-1 and 1-7-1 in the conference.

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005
WNEC 4, Stonehill 3

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Coming off one of the worst losses in school history, Western New England College bounced back with a well-earned 4-3 victory over Division II Stonehill College in an ECAC Northeast contest played at the Bridgewater Ice Arena.

Freshman forward Steve Hennessey (Essex Junction, VT) scored the game-winner on a power play goal at 16:04 of the third period. Freshman forward Nick Sampson (Reading, MA) had the assist on the winning goal.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) scored the first three goals for his first hat trick of the season. His firstscore gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead at 12:20 of the opening period while his third goal put WNEC ahead 3-2 at 19:35 of the second period. Leonard now has 13 goals this season.

Sophomore goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) made 32 saves for his first win of the season.

Western New England College improves to 3-11-1 and 1-6-1 in the conference after winning its first road contest in seven outings.

Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005
Curry 16, WNEC 2

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) and sophomore forward Mike Amato (Mt. Laurel, NJ) scored goals for Western New England College in a 16-2 loss against Curry College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

Curry (8-4-3, 7-0-1) took a 3-0 lead eight minutes, eight seconds into the game before Amato cut the margin to two with his third goal of the season at the 12:35 mark.

The roof then caved in as the Colonels scored five more times for an 8-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes. The visitors tallied four times in both the second and third periods before Leonard scored the final goal of the game (his 10th of the season) at 17:13.

Western New England College falls to 2-11-1 and 0-6-1 in the conference.

FRESHMAN STEVE HENNESSEY NAMED GOLDEN BEARS' MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-WEEK & ECAC NORTHEAST TOP ROOKIE

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Freshman Steve Hennessey (Essex Junction, VT) was honored Tuesday (Jan. 25) as both the Western New England College Male Athlete-of-the-Week and ECAC Northeast Rookie-of-the-Week.

Hennessey, a forward, scored two goals in 25 seconds at the 18:16 and 18:41 mark of the third period in a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Worcester State College on January 20. The goals were the third and fourth of the season for Hennessey who served as a back-up goalie on the Golden Bears' men's soccer team this past fall. Hennessey is a business major.

Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005
WNEC at Fitchburg State, 7:00 p.m. (PPD)

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005
WNEC 6, Worcester State 4

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Scoring three goals in 42 seconds in the final two minutes, Western New England College rallied for a dramatic 6-4 non-conference victory over visiting Worcester State College.

The Golden Bears led 3-2 after two periods before the Lancers struck twice in a 2:37 span to take a 4-3 advantage with 10:49 remaining in the contest.

Freshman forward Nick Sampson (Reading, MA) tied the game at the 17:59 mark.

Freshman forward Steve Hennessey (Essex Junction, VT) then tallied twice in 25 seconds, scoring the game winner at 18:16 and adding an insurance goal at 18:41.

Sophomore forward Mike Amato (Mt. Laurel, NJ) contributed a shorthanded goal that gave the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead after the first period and two assists. Senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) chipped in with three assists.

Freshman goalie Jamie Babineau (Medway, MA) made 24 saves for his first collegiate win.

Western New England College is now 2-10-1 after having an eight-game losing streak come to an end.

Sunday, Jan. 16, 2005
Lebanon Valley 7, WNEC 3

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In a game that featured seven first period goals, Western New England College dropped a 7-3 decision to visiting Lebanon Valley College in a non conference game at the Olympia Ice Center.

The Flying Dutchmen scored 1:29 into the game and led 5-2 after the opening 20 minutes.

The Golden Bears twice got within one at 2-1 on a shorthanded goal by senior forward Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) at 9:31 and on a goal by junior defenseman Bryan Morrell (Palmyra, NY) (his first of the season) at 13:10 that made the score 3-2. Senior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) assisted on the both goals.

Lebanon Valley came back scoring twice in a 2:35 span for a three-goal advantage.

Freshman defenseman Pat Tamez (Mount Laurel, NJ) scored his first collegiate goal in only his third game at 18:23 of the second period to cut the deficit to 6-3.

The loss was the eighth straight for Western New England College who drops to 1-10-1.

Saturday, Jan. 15, 2005
UMass-Dartmouth 8 , WNEC 1

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Western New England College fell behind early and never caught up in suffering an 8-1 loss at UMass-Dartmouth in an ECAC Northeast game.

The Corsairs led 3-0 after the first period and 5-0 at the 8:38 mark of the second stanza before the Golden Bears finally got on the board on a goal by freshman forward Steve Hennessey (Essex Junction, VT) at 17:15 with assists from freshman defenseman Nick Klassen (Parker, CO) and sophomore defenseman Steve Szaro (Bayonne, NJ).

Western New England College falls to 1-9-1 and 0-5-1 in the conference.

Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005
Franklin Pierce 3, WNEC 2

WINCHENDON, Mass. — Western New England College opened the second half of its season with a 3-2 loss to Franklin Pierce College in an ECAC Northeast game played at the Robinson-Broadhurst Arena.

The Golden Bears took an 2-0 lead in the opening period following goals by senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) at 7:02 and freshman forward Nick Sampson (Reading, MA) at 11:52. Leonard's goal was his eighth of the season. This also was the first collegiate goal for Sampson.

Western New England College didn't score the rest of the game while Franklin Pierce tallied on a power play goal in each period for the win.

The Golden Bears (1-8-1, 0-4-1) out-shot the Ravens (4-6, 1-3) by a 42-28 margin.

GOLDEN BEARS NOTEBOOK
Monday, Dec. 13, 2004

Western New England College has a 1-7-1 record at the holiday break after suffering a 10-2 loss at Amherst on December 3 in the first meeting between the schools in 12 years. WNEC then had its game with UMass-Boston (scheduled for the following day) postponed because several players on the Beacons' squad were sick.

In the Amherst game, senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) gave the Golden Bears an early 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 4:07 of the first period. The Lord Jeffs tallied eight unanswered goals before Leonard scored his second goal (and seventh of the season) at 18:47 of the second period.

Leonard leads Western New England College with 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) followed by junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) with nine points (5 goals, 4 assists).

Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) has a 4.63 goals-against-average and 87.5 save percentage in six contests. Senior Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) has a 2.92 goals-against-average and 90.8 save percentage in two starts while freshman Jamie Babineau (Medway, MA) has a 4.38 goals-against-average and 88.3 save percentage in two games.

Western New England College returns to action with an ECAC Northeast contest at Franklin Pierce on Saturday, January 8.

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004
UMass-Boston at WNEC, 2:55 p.m. (PPD)
(New date and time to be announced)

Friday, Dec. 10, 2004
Amherst 10, WNEC 2

AMHERST, Mass. — Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) scored both goals for Western New England College in a 10-2 non-conference loss at Amherst College in the first meeting between the schools in 12 years.

Leonard gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 4:0-7 into the first period, but the Lord Jeffs scored four times in the period and four more times in the second period before Leonard tallied his seventh goal of the season at the 18:47 mark to make the score 8-2.

Amherst scored two more times in the first three minutes of the third period to complete the scoring. The Lord Jeffs outshot the Golden Bears by a 51-12 margin.

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004
Framingham State 3, WNEC 2

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Senior forward Mike Tullock (Pittsfield, MA) and junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) scored goals for Western New England College in a 3-2 non-conference loss at Framingham State College

Tullock's second goal of the season tied the game at 2:48 of the opening period and Henderson tallied his third goal of the year on a power play to knot the tie at 2-2 at the 1:23 mark of the second period.

The Rams scored the game-winner at 1:37 of the third period keeping the Golden Bears (1-6-1) off the board for the final 38:37 of the game.

Freshman goalie Jamie Babineau (Medway, MA) made 27 saves in his collegiate debut.

GOLDEN BEARS NOTEBOOK
Monday, Dec. 6, 2004

Western New England College has three non-conference games this week before taking a break for exams and the holidays. The Golden Bears (1-5-1) visit Framingham State College on Tuesday (Dec. 7) and Amherst College on Friday (Dec. 10) before hosting UMass-Boston on Saturday (Dec. 11).

WNEC will be playing Amherst for the first time since 1992 and UMass-Boston for the first time since the 1980-81 season.

Coach Karl Enroth's team hopes to snap a three game losing streak following a 5-3 loss against Division II Assumption College on November 30. The Ice Dogs broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of goals in a 3:54 span late in the third period for the win. Junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) had a goal and assist for the Golden Bears while senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) added two assists.

Leonard leads Western New England College with 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) followed by Henderson with nine points (2 goals, 7 assists). Senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) is third with eight points (5 goals, 3 assists). Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) has a 3.75 goals-against-average and 89.5 save percentage in five contests. Senior Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) has a 2.92 goals-against-average and 90.8 save percentage in two starts.

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004
Assumption 5, WNEC 3

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College allowed two goals in a 3:54 span in the third period and that proved to be the difference in a 5-3 loss against Division II Assumption College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

After a scoreless first period, the Ice Dogs jumped to a 2-0 lead by scoring twice at the 7:50 and 9:12 marks seconds before senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) fired home his fifth goal of the season 52 seconds later. Junior defenseman Dave Wright (New City, NY) tied the game with his first collegiate goal at 15:21.

WNEC pulled within 4-3 on a power play goal by junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) with 4:14 left in the game before Assumption scored an empty net goal at 18:48 to complete the scoring. Henderson also had an assist on Wright's goal.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) contributed two assists for the Golden Bears who fall to 1-5-1 overall and 0-3-1 in the conference.

GOLDEN BEARS NOTEBOOK
Monday, November 29, 2004

Western New England College hopes to get back on the winning track against Assumption College starting at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 30) in an ECAC Northeast game at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield.

WNEC fell to 1-4 after dropping a 4-3 non-conference decision at Suffolk last Tuesday. This was the third one goal loss of the season for the Golden Bears.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) had two goals against the Rams giving him a team high six points (5 goals, 1 assist). He has three power play goals and one shorthanded goal this season.

Senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) added two assists to give him five points (2 goals, 3 assists)

Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) has a 3.26 goals-against-average and 90.5 save percentage in three outings while senior Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) has a 2.92 goals-against-average and 90.8 save percentage in two contests.

In other news, the game between Western New England College and Southern New Hampshire University that was suspended on November 16 with 14:37 remaining in the third period because of a power failure and the score tied at 4-4 will not be made up and the contest will remain a tie.

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004
Suffolk 4, WNEC 3

BOSTON, Mass. — Western New England College suffered its third one-goal loss of the season after dropping a 4-3 non-conference decision at Suffolk University.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) scored two goals while sophomore forward Pat McFarlin (Springfield MA) had his first goal of the season that gave the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead after the first period.

The Rams scored three answered goals in the first 7:53 of the second period before Leonard cut the margin to one with his fifth goal of the season at the 15:51 mark. There was no scoring in the final period.

Senior forward Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) contributed two assists. Senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) compiled 33 saves for Western New England College who had a 48-37 shot advantage.

GOLDEN BEARS NOTEBOOK
Friday, November 19, 2004

Western New England College (1-3) is showing opponents it will be no easy pushover this year despite being picked next-to-last (11th) in the pre-season ECAC Northeast poll.

WNEC, under fourth-year coach Karl Enroth, opened its season with losses to Fitchburg State (4-3) and Wentworth (3-2 in overtime) before defeating Nichols (3-2 in overtime).

Last Tuesday, WNEC and Southern New Hampshire were tied 4-4 with 14:37 remaining in the third period when the power went out at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield. The game will be re-played from that point at a later date. The Golden Bears lost their first road game of the season against Worcester State (3-1) on Thursday.

Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) leads the team in scoring with four points (3 goals, 1 assist) while senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) (2-1) and junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) (0-3) each have three points. Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) has played well in the three defeats by making 95 saves for a 90.5 save percentage.

Western New England College returns to action with a non-conference game at Suffolk on Tuesday (Nov. 23).

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004
Worcester State 3, WNEC 1

AUBURN, Mass. — Worcester State College scored two goals in the final 3:08 for a 3-1 victory over Western New England College in an ECAC Northeast contest.

WNEC trailed 1-0 heading into the final period before freshman Steve Hennessey (Essex Junction, VT) tied the contest with his first collegiate goal on a power play at 10;03 with assists from junior defenseman Bryan Morrell (Palmyra, NY) and sophomore forward Zack Lindsay (Windsor Locks, CT). It was the first collegiate point for Lindsay.

Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) stopped 38 shots for the Golden Bears who fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004
WNEC 4, Southern New Hampshire 4

(Game suspended with 14:37 remaining in the third period because of a power outage at the Olympia Ice Center)

Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004
WNEC 3, Nichols 2 (ot)
(Cyr Arena, Forest Park, Springfield)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior defenseman Steve Szaro (Bayonne, NJ) scored the game-winner with 1:44 remaining in overtime as Western New England College won its first game of the season with a 3-2 victory over Nichols College.

This was the third consecutive one-goal game for the Golden Bears who were playing for the third time in five days and second straight overtime contest.

WNEC (1-2) took a 1-0 lead on a goal by senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) just 3:44 into the game with assists from senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) and junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ).

Nichols (0-3) tied the contest at 15:16 of the second period on a goal by sophomore right wing Mark Shinder (Los Angeles, CA).

The Golden Bears went ahead 2-1 in the third period on a goal by Szmeiter at 14:03, assisted by junior defenseman Dave Wright (New City, NY). The Bison tied the game again when freshman forward Brian Buonomo (Edison, NJ) scored on a power play goal at 18:58.

That set the stage for Szaro who fired home his first goal of the season with an assist from senior right wing Mike Nutcher (Hamden, CT).

WNEC senior goalie Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) made 26 saves in his first start of the season while Nichols sophomore goalie Ryan Davis (Sandpointe, MI) recorded 34 stops.

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004
Wentworth 3, WNEC 2 (ot)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Wentworth survived an upset bid from Western New England College by rallying for a 3-2 overtime decision in an ECAC Northeast contest.

WNEC took a 1-0 lead on the first collegiate goal by freshman Sean Cahill (East Haven, CT) at 6:37 of the opening period. After Wentworth tied the contest with a short-handed score at 8:19, the Golden Bears went ahead for the final time when senior Mike Tullock (Pittsfield, MA) scored his first goal of the season on a power play at the 13:43 mark.

The Leopards again knotted the contest at 6:01 in the third period, then junior Blayne Goodman scored the winner with 1:02 left in overtime.

Junior goalie Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) made 34 saves in a strong performance to receive the third star of the game honor.

WNEC is now 0-2 and 0-1 in the conference.

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004
Fitchburg State 4, WNEC 3

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Senior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) scored twice and had an assist but Fitchburg State College defeated Western New England College 4-3 in the season opener for both squads.

Fitchburg State led 2-0 early in the second period before the Golden Bears scored twice within eight seconds on goals by Leonard (6:08) and senior right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT) (6;16).

The Falcons again went up by two before Leonard closed out the scoring at 16:30 of the final period.

Junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) contributed two assists for WNEC. Leonard received the third star of the game honor.

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE OPENS SEASON TUESDAY AGAINST FITCHBURG STATE COLLEGE

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Western New England College will open its Silver Anniversary season at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 9) against Fitchburg State College at the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield.

Fourth-year coach Karl Enroth has 14 players returning from last year's 9-11-3 team led by senior captains, defenseman Matt Cassaro (East Bridgewater, MA), forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA), and right wing Michael Szmeiter (Plainville, CT).

Leonard led the Golden Bears in scoring last year with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) while Szmeiter was second with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists). Cassaro was the second leading defender in scoring with 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists).

Among the other top players are junior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) who scored 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists), junior forward Pat Henderson (Marlton, NJ) who had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), and senior right wing/center Mike Nutcher (Hamden, CT) who compiled 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists).

Sophomore forward Pat McFarlin (Springfield, MA) returns for his second season. Western Massachusetts native senior center/forward Mike Tullock (Pittsfield, MA) also is on the squad.

Mike "The Wall" Newall graduated after compiling 1,288 career saves leaving senior Matt Ruggeri (Billerica, MA) and junior Brian Essig (Saddle Brook, NJ) and as the leading candidates for the starting goalie position.

The Golden Bears will host Wentworth at 8:00 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 11) at the Olympia Ice Center and Nichols at 3:00 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 13) at Cyr Arena in Springfield's Forest Park.

Winter Sports Banquet
Saturday, March 27, 2003
List of Award Recipients

Men's Ice Hockey
Most Valuable Player - Senior Mike Newall (Albuquerque, NM)
Offensive Player-of-the-Year - Junior Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA)
Defensive Player-of-the-Year - Senior Ryan Smith (Warwick, RI)

GOLDEN BEARS AMONG MOST IMPROVED TEAMS IN ECAC NORTHEAST; NINE WINS BEST SINCE 2000

Western New England College posted a 9-13-3 record this past season that was its highest win total since 1999-2000 (11-12-2). The Golden Bears also tied for ninth (with Nichols College) in the ECAC Northeast with a 4-9-3 mark, missing a spot in the conference playoffs by three points.

WNEC had a 9-8-1 record at one point, but a 0-5-2 slide in the final three weeks of the season proved the difference in not qualifying for the post-season tournament. The three ties were the highest in the program's 24-year history. The Golden Bears were 5-5 in one-goal contests.

Western New England College had five players ranked in the top 15 in the final ECAC Northeast statistics.

Senior goalie/tri-captain Mike "The Wall" Newall (Albuquerque, NM) tied for first in saves (468), was third in minutes played (751:04), sixth in save percentage (91.2), and 15th in goals-against-average (3.59).

Senior tri-captain Ryan Smith (Warwick, RI) tied for eighth in defenseman scoring with 16 points (2 goals, 14 assists) and tied for 12th in assists (14).

Junior forward Kevin Leonard (Tewksbury, MA) tied for fifth with 11 power play points (5 goals, 6 assists); tied for sixth in power play goals (5); tied for ninth in short-handed goals (1); tied for 12th in scoring with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists), and tied for 13th in goals (10).

Junior center Marcin Dziubek (Clifton, NJ) tied for fifth with 11 power play points (3 goals, 8 assists).

Sophomore defenseman Bryan Morrell (Palmyra, NY) tied for ninth in short-handed goals (1).

Western New England College was ninth among 17 teams in scoring (3.31) and 11th in defense (4.06).

The Golden Bears tied for seventh in net special teams (+5), eighth in power play goals (20 for 94, 21.3%), eighth in penalty kill (70 of 86, 81.4%), and tied for ninth in combined special teams (90 for 180, 50.0%).

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