Box Score

HOOKSETT, N.H. -- The University of New England men's ice hockey team scored a handful of goals over the second and third periods to pull away from Southern New Hampshire University to a 6-3 win on the first day of play Saturday afternoon at the Penmen's own PAL Cup.

Big Blue (2-4-0) will face the University of Massachusetts Boston (a 2-1 shootout winner over Worcester State University) in Sunday's tournament final.

Senior Brendan Brickley (Everett, Mass.) scored twice for the Nor'easters, finishing off the second period to leave the visitors on top, 4-2. He added an assist in the third on a goal by first-year Jared Melman (San Jose, Calif.), who also finished with three points on the day (one goal, two assists).

UNE received its other scores from junior Tyler Fleurent (Biddeford, Maine), senior Scott McManaman (Amherst, Nova Scotia), and sophomore Nick Michaud (Kensington, N.H.).

Sophomore goalie Ian Edwards (Linden, Mich.) needed to make just 11 saves to get his second victory of the season.

Fleurent gave the Nor'easters a 1-0 lead on a power play in the first, with his team-leading fifth goal of the year. Sophomores Zach Lokey (Elizabethtown, Pa.) and Sean Sullivan (Worcester, Mass.) were each credited with the first of their two assists in the contest.

Southern New Hampshire (1-6-1) had tied things up by the end of the initial 20 minutes, courtesy of Michael Settipani.

Lokey and first-year Zeth Zielinski (Woonsocket, R.I.) set-up McManaman to start the second, and then Melman and senior Kyle MacLennan (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) registered assists on Brickley's first tally midway throught the frame, making it 3-1.

After Zach Lubinski cut the Penmen deficit to 3-2, Brickley scored 58 seconds later -- off a feed from junior Adam Laite (Howie Center, Nova Scotia) and Melman.

Tyler Pascucci scored for SNHU early in the third to trim the UNE cushion to 4-3, but Michaud and Melman notched insurance goals within the final six minutes to close out the game. Junior Brent Bourgeois (New Haven, Vt.) became the 11th player to record a point on the afternoon with an assist on Michaud's marker.

Between the pipes for the Penmen, Tyler Holske posted 29 saves, as the hosts were out-shot by a 35-14 margin.