Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Junior Charles Nerbak (Martinsville, N.J.) and first-year Louis Belisle (Repentigny, Quebec) each scored a pair of goals as Middlebury College defeated the University of New England 7-1 in an ECAC East/NESCAC crossover game played Saturday afternoon at Biddeford Arena.

The Panthers (2-4, 1-3) also received goals from first-year Michael Longo (Morristown, N.J.) and junior Martin Drolet (Montreal, Quebec) in winning for the second time in their last three starts.

Middlebury scored its first four goals on tip-ins or shots that were redirected. Belisle notched the initial goal of the contest on the power play 2:51 in, then Longto doubled the Panthers' advantage at the 14:05 mark to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after one period.

Drolet tipped home a shot midway thru the second to push the lead to 3-0, and Belisle followed with his second marker of the afternoon less than two minutes later. 

Nerbak would score during an extra-man situation to make the score 5-0, but UNE junior Kyle MacLennan (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) got Big Blue on the scoreboard with his first goal of the season at 15:49. First-year Zach Lokey (Elizabethtown, Pa.) and sophomore Scott McManaman (Sydney, Nova Scotia) were credited with assists.

Nerbak and Charlie Strauss each tacked-on a goal in the third period to make the final margin 7-1.

Junior goaltender John Yanchek (Hillsborough, N.J.) made 12 saves for the Panthers, who held a 44-13 in shots on goal and converted 3 of 5 power play opportunities.

Senior Mike Roper (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) came up with 37 stops for UNE (1-5, 0-4), which rounds out first-semester play next Saturday (Dec. 11) with a 4 p.m. tilt at the University of Southern Maine.

Middlebury is idle for nearly a month before returning to the ice New Year's Day in a home game with Skidmore College.


Click here to view a PHOTO GALLERY from the game