OXFORD, Ohio – Junior assistant captain Patrick Grasso (Ankeny, Iowa) and junior defenseman Max Gildon (Plano, Texas) each posted one goal and one assist for two points as the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team tied Miami, 4-4, on Saturday evening at the Steve "Coach" Cady Arena. The Wildcats start the season 1-0-1, while the RedHawks are now 0-2-1. Grasso tied the game at 4-4 with just 5:46 left in the third period with a power play goal.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will continue their season-opening five game road trip when they travel to Waltham, Mass., to take on Atlantic Hockey opponent Bentley on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at Bentley Arena.
NEXT HOME GAME:
The Wildcats open the home season at the Whittemore Center on Friday, November 1 when they take on Boston College at 7 p.m. The first of a six-set trading card series will be given away at the game and the UNH Marching Band will perform on the ice. Then the Wildcats will host Dartmouth in a Granite State showdown on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Individual game tickets with affordable options that start as low as $9 and a convenient six-ticket flexible miniplan can now be purchased for the season by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at (603) 862-4000 or by visiting UNHWildcats.com.
At 9:02 of the first period, sophomore Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) scored on a power play goal for his first goal of the season. Crookshank tipped a wrist shot by Gildon from the point to the back of the net. Grasso also recorded an assist on the goal.
Miami outshot UNH, 10-6, while the Wildcats went 1-1 on the power play and the RedHawks went 0-1.
The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead when junior Kohei Sato (Nishitokyo, Japan) scored on a breakaway off a pass from senior captain Anthony Wyse (Newton, Mass.) at 6:28 of the second period.
Kohei Sato
Gildon then made it a 3-0 game when he scored on a five-on-three power play at 11:06. Senior assistant captain Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) and sophomore Jackson Pierson each posted an assist on the goal.
The RedHawks then scored three straight goals to tie the game at 3-3. The goals were by Chase Pletzke (13:41), Casey Gilling on a power play (16:57) and John Sladic (19:52).
Miami outshot UNH by a 13-7 margin, while the Wildcats went 1-2 on the man-advantage and the RedHawks went 1-3.
Just 1:23 after the opening faceoff of the third period, Sladic scored his second straight goal to give Miami a 4-3 lead. Scott Corbett sent the puck from behind the goal to a waiting Sladic at the slot as he pushed the puck to the back of the net.
Grasso then tied the game at 4-4 at 14:14 with a power play goal to send the game to overtime. Kelleher and Pierson each recorded an assist on the goal.
Miami went on a power play with 1:39 remaining in overtime but the Wildcats were able to keep them from scoring the game winner for the 4-4 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS Mike Robinson
Miami outshot UNH by a 32-25 margin.
Junior Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) made 28 saves, while Ben Kraws posted 21.
The Wildcats went 3-5 on the power play and the RedHawks went 1-5.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Charlie Kelleher
UNH is now 8-5-3 all-time versus Miami.
Kelleher has five points with one goal and four assists through the first two games.
Gildon and Pierson have four points over the first two games. Gildon has one goal and three assists, while Pierson has two goals and two assists.
Sato has three goals over the first two games of the year.
Max Gildon
STAY CONNECTED
There are numerous ways to stay connected with the UNH men's hockey team. Follow the Wildcats on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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