Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomore Zach Lokey (Elizabethtown, Pa.) recorded a hat trick to help lead the University of New England men's ice hockey team to a 6-2 ECAC East League victory over Saint Michael's College on Saturday afternoon at Biddeford Ice Arena.

The triumph is the first of the young season for Big Blue (1-3, 1-3 ECAC East), while the Purple Knights fall to 1-2 (1-1 ECAC East) with the setback.

After a scoreless first period, Lokey and goalie Ian Edwards (Linden, Mich.) set-up senior Scott McManaman (Amherst, Nova Scotia) on the power play 6:19 into the second to put the hosts in front for good. Lokey made it 2-0 less than two minutes later on the the first of two assists for first-year Mike Chase (Falmouth, Maine).

Saint Michael's got one back 9:01 into the frame as junior Josh Geary (Wellesley, Mass.) scored, with assists going to sophomore Sam Torney (Shelburne, Vt.) and senior Brad Earle (Columbia, Md.).

A UNE penalty on the SMC goal left the Nor'easters down a man, but first-year Jared Melman (San Jose, Calif.) converted a short-handed bid after just 16 seconds off a feed from senior Ted Fabian (Oakland, Maine). The hosts carried the 3-1 cushion into the second intermission.

Lokey upped the margin to three (4-1) 5:41 into the final frame, getting help from first-year Nick Kolb (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Chase. First-year Chris Glover (McFarland, Wisc.) got into the scoring column as the stanza progressed, putting one between the pipes on the power play after a pass from class Zeth Zielinski (Woonsocket, R.I.) to make it 5-1.

Earle struck on the man advantage from Geary and Torney with 4:26 left, before Lokey netted his third of the day from junior Tyler Fleurent (Biddeford, Maine) and sophomore Sean Sullivan (Worcester, Mass.) with just 10 ticks remaining to cap the scoring.

Edwards made 27 stops to pick up the win for Big Blue, which is off until November 22 when it travels to Bowdoin College for a non-league contest.

For the Purple Knights, who return to action next Friday for their home-opener against Saint Anselm, junior goaltender Mike Dizgun (Kirkland, Quebec) turned in 30 saves.