SHELTON, Conn. – After trailing 2-0 in the first period, it looked like fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce University had all the momentum in the Northeast-10 Tournament Quarterfinals against fourth-seeded Post University Men's Ice Hockey on Tuesday night in Shelton, Connecticut. Playing in their first playoff home game since the 2021-22 season, when they made the Championship Game, the Eagles pulled off the two-goal comeback behind two goals, including the overtime winner, by sophomore defenseman Aidan Canady in a 4-3 thriller.

The win for Post sends them to the NE10 Tournament Semifinals to face top-seeded Assumption University on Saturday, with a trip to the Championship Game on March 7th on the line. The Eagles have lost six consecutive games against the Greyhounds dating back to last season.

THE BASICS

Post University 4, Franklin Pierce University 3 (OT)

Post University (9-18-1)

Franklin Pierce University (9-21-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
It would not take long for the Ravens to get on the board as senior forward Isaiah Frankel beat senior goalie Benjamin Cunneen only 1:32 into the contest, which was the start of a two-goal stretch for the Ravens, giving them the early momentum. Junior forward Nick Fish drew an early penalty for Franklin Pierce for a hit from behind as senior forward Baxter Kimball nearly cashed in against senior goalie Jeremy Connor off a rebounded shot, but pushed it off the right post.

Moments after that, sophomore forward Mario Paganini cashed in with the second goal of the frame for the Ravens, nearly halfway through the frame. But despite the scoreboard, it was the Eagles who were generating more offensive chances, outshooting Franklin Pierce by a 15-10 margin, but trailing 2-0 with 40 minutes left to play in regulation.
The once two-goal deficit quickly became a one-goal lead for the Eagles in the second as the offense erupted similarly to the way they did in their home regular season finale against Saint Anselm College. Post's offense put up three goals in less than four minutes, starting with senior forward Jacob Howell's left side shot, cleaning up senior forward Joe Santoro's attempt on the power play, cutting the deficit in half, 2-1.

Only 2:58 later, another power play resulted in the equalizer for the Eagles as this time it was junior forward Parker Norling with the sniper from between the circles from senior defenseman Ryan O'Connell and junior forward Connor McCowell. Not even a minute later, Canady netted his first of two goals, giving Post its first lead, 3-2, while Santoro tacked on his second assist of the period alone, beating Connor from a similar spot on the ice as Norling.

But the lead would not last too long into the third as junior forward John Sterling tied it up at three all just past the three-minute mark of the frame. That was all the scoring that either side saw in regulation, forcing a 20-minute, sudden-death, five-on-five overtime at the Sports Center of Connecticut. After the 15-minute break, it took under 2 ½ minutes for the Eagles to punch their ticket to the NE10 Semifinals on Saturday against Assumption.

With the help of McCowell and sophomore forward Scotty Swain, who had two assists as well, along with McCowell and Santoro, Canady rifled a shot from the left circle, going over the shoulder of Connor for the game-winning goal and a 4-3 victory for Post. For the goalies, Connor closed with 41 saves, while Cunneen finished with 26 saves, including one shot in overtime from sophomore forward Giovanni Ursillo with open space that the senior was able to glove down.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Aidan Canady scored two goals, including the overtime winner, for Post University and now has five points in the last four games for the Eagles
• Scotty Swain finished the game with two assists, giving him a three-game point streak, all of which have been assists – Swain has five points in the last three games for the Eagles
• John Sterling finished with a team-high two points for Franklin Pierce University, scoring the game-tying goal in the third period while also having an assist in the loss
• The NE10 Quarterfinals win for Post University is their first postseason win since the 2021-22 season, when they took down Saint Michael's College at home, 3-1

 
WHO'S NEXT 
Post University heads to the NE10 Tournament Semifinals this Saturday to face top-seeded Assumption University at a time to be determined on the road. This will be the Eagles' first appearance in the semifinals since the 2021-22 season, when they made it to the NE10 Championship Game. Against the Greyhounds, Post has lost its last six head-to-head matchups after winning three in a row during the 2024-25 season.