PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior goaltender Brendahn Brawley (Morton, Pa.) made 20 saves to earn MVP honors as top-seeded Plymouth State University won its fourth straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey tournament championship with a 5-2 win over second-seeded Worcester State University at Hanaway Rink on Saturday night.
 
Plymouth State, ranked #10 in the nation, advances to its sixth NCAA Tournament riding a program-best 19-game winning streak.
 
Junior Matt Tartaglio (Houston, Texas) gave PSU the lead at the 13:59 mark of the first period, but the Lancers came back just 47 seconds later to tie the score.
 
The Panthers took control in the middle stanza as sophomore Connor Tait (Boyds, Md.), senior Niks Krollis (Riga, Latvia) and sophomore Dante Moretti (Powell, Ohio) all found the back of the net to give the hosts a 4-1 lead.
 
Freshman Will Redick (Collingwood, Ontario) extended the margin to 5-1 with his third period tally, before the visitors snuck one past Brawley late in the third to account for the final score.
 
Plymouth State extends the program record for wins to improve to 23-3-1. The Panthers will learn their matchup for the NCAA Tournament during the selection show on NCAA.com on Monday (Mar. 6) at 10:00 a.m.
 
Worcester State ends its season with a 14-12-1 record.
  
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 5, Worcester State 2
  • Plymouth State (23-3-1)
  • Worcester State (14-12-1)

How it Happened:

• Redick had the game's first chance just under five minutes in as he skated in from the right side and into the crease, but his backhanded attempt was kicked aside. Moments later freshman Payton Schaly (Orillia, Ontario) had a clean breakaway, but his shot went just wide.
• PSU opened the scoring at the 13:59 mark when Moretti gloved down a pass in the slot and flipped a no-look pass to Tartaglio on the right side, where his one-timer found the back of the net.
• Worcester State came right back to tie the score just 47 seconds later as the Lancers converted during a 3-on-2 in transition.
• The Panthers retook the lead 6:15 into the second. Senior Myles Abbate (Norwell, Mass.) flipped the puck to Redick in the defensive zone to spark a 2-on-1 breakout and Tait beat the Lancers' goalie high to the glove side to make it 2-1.
• Krollis made a move around a skater and whipped a wrist shot from the left circle to the top left corner to extend the lead to 3-1 with 6:26 left in the period.
• Plymouth State pushed the advantage to 4-1 just under five minutes later when senior Jacob Laurin (Stockholm, Sweden) stole the puck at the blue line and fed Moretti, who skated in alone, made several moves to elude the goalie and went bar down.
• Redick extended the margin to 5-1 at 11:40 of the third when he intercepted a pass at center ice, skated past two defenders and fired a shot to the bottom right corner.
• The visitors got one back late in the third to trim the deficit to 5-2, but Plymouth State possessed the puck over the final minutes to stave off any comeback attempt.

By the Numbers:

• Redick and Moretti each finished with a goal and an assist for two points apiece.
• Abbate, Laurin, junior Brett Lockhart (Braintree, Mass.) and sophomore Ethan Stuckless (Conception Bay South, Newfoundland) all chipped in with assists.
• PSU's penalty kill was perfect, holding the Lancers to 0-for-4 on the power play. Plymouth State was 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
• The Panthers held a 35-22 advantage in shots.
• Plymouth State wins its sixth MASCAC Tournament title and fourth straight, a conference record.
• The Panthers were making their 10th appearance in the championship game in the past 11 seasons.
• Plymouth State is unbeaten in its last 12 games against the Lancers (11-0-1) and 57-11-5 overall dating back to the 1987-88 season.

 
Up Next:

• Plymouth State advances to its sixth NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will learn their fate during the NCAA Selection Show that airs on NCAA.com on Monday (Mar. 6) at 10:00 a.m.