KEENE, N.H. – Marcus Chrisafideis opened the scoring 57 seconds in and Sean Hoffman netted his first career goal with 2.5 seconds left as part of a whopping five-goal first period as the Keene State College men's ice hockey team steamrolled to a 7-1 victory over Franklin Pierce University on Saturday night at Keene Ice.

Highlights
Postgame Interview (Coach Rodrigue)
Postgame Interview (Sean Hoffman/Thor Hansen)

It was the Owls' (9-10-1) second-highest scoring period of the season behind their six-goal third period against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on November 30 and helped them improve to 5-3-0 at home, avoiding any letdown after a comeback from three goals down in a win over St. Anselm College on Tuesday night.

KSC was up three goals just 7:22 in, with Thor Hansen scoring twice on the power play from Chrisafideis and Sean McBride within 2:04 of each other.  Mario Paganini got one back for Franklin Pierce (0-22-1) at 13:34 of the opening period, but the Owls were far from done as Michael Boschetto lasered home Luke Festa's cross-ice feed with 2:57 left to make it 4-1.  Hoffman got in on the scoring action after Chase Carney created a last-second rush where he passed off to Unger on the left as he entered the zone.  Unger then dropped off a centering feed that was disrupted by FPU defender Nicholas Tessier, but the 6-7 defenseman Hoffman gathered it and ripped home a shot to beat the clock as the Owls carried a 5-1 lead to the room.  In an already tough season, it marked the largest deficit the Ravens faced through 20 minutes and was the second-highest scoring period they had allowed.  FPU was coming off a game on Friday night at home (in Winchendon, Mass.) against Assumption College in which they led 3-1 halfway through the second period and still by a goal entering the third, but gave up two and then an empty net goal to fall 5-3.

After the opening 20 minutes tonight, the visitors never recovered.  The Owls had a second period lull, getting outshot 8-5 while neither team found the back of the net, but picked back up again in the third as they outshot FPU 19-4 and added two more.  Chrisafideis made it another multi-goal effort this season by picking a corner just milliseconds after a 5-on-3 ended at 13:50.  He has scored two goals six times (also adding eight helpers in those efforts) and has a team-leading 18 goals that places him second in the country in Division III (behind Landry Schmuck of No. 3 Aurora University, who is 18-3-0).  The Owls' top line of Chrisafideis, Carney, and Unger continues to rack up the points – now combining for 34 goals, 33 assists, and a plus-29 rating (Carney is plus-13).

Sean Gray wrapped up the scoring, making it 7-1 with 5:17 left as he was right there to pot a rebound of Joe Fontaine's shot that Ravens goalie Riley Mastowski never froze despite the referee's whistle blowing.

KSC's seven-goal output is their second highest of the season and most at Keene Ice.  Over the last 70 minutes at home since trailing St. Anselm by three with less than 10 minutes left, the Owls have scored 11 goals.

Ben Skelton needed to make just 16 saves in the victory for Keene State.  Jeff Reda took the loss for Franklin Pierce, stopping 19 in the first period before being replaced by Mastowski for the final 40 minutes (22 saves).

The Owls outshot the Ravens 48-17 while improving to 4-0-0 against the Northeast-10 this season.  One more opponent from the Division II league awaits, as KSC welcomes Southern New Hampshire University (10-11-1, 9-6-1 NE-10) to the Elm City on Tuesday (February 4) for a 7:45 p.m. puck drop.  The Owls beat the Penmen 3-2 in overtime in Hooksett on November 12.  KSC will then host Senior Night on February 15 against Worcester State University before closing out their first-ever Division III season on February 21 and 22 at Misericordia University, also in their inaugural campaign.  With a win Tuesday, the Owls could move back to .500 for the first time since December 8 when they were 5-5-1.