Box Score

HOOKSETT, N.H. -- The University of New England men's ice hockey team converted two of its three shootout attempts while the University of Massachusetts-Boston came up empty in its first four, providing the Nor'easters with the Southern New Hampshire University PAL Cup title after Sunday's tournament final at Ice Den Arena ended in overtime tied at 3-3.

The Beacons missed on their first try of the shootout, and UNE junior Tyler Fleurent (Biddeford, Maine) followed with a good effort to give the Nor'easters the early advantage. The next two shots went wide, before Big Blue first-year goalie Craig Ryan (Wallingford, Conn.) stopped the third attempt from UMass Boston. Sophomore Sean Sullivan (Worcester, Mass.) cashed in on his try in the third spot for UNE to make it 2-0 after three full rounds, and then Ryan sealed it with another save on the fourth shot by UMB.

Both teams had gone the final 25 minutes without scoring, before which the Beacons had rallied late in the second period with two goals to tie the game heading into the third. Andrew Burke netted the pair of scores, including the equalizer with eight seconds left in the middle frame.

UNE trailed 1-0 in the first after Travis Daniel put one home on the power play with 4:21 to go in the opening stanza. The Nor'easters leveled the game inside the last two minutes of the first on a goal by first-year Zeth Zielinski (Woonsocket, R.I.), with assists going to classmates Mike Chase (Falmouth, Maine) and Nick Kolb (Virginia Beach, Va.).

The same three connected again to open the second-period scoring on a power play, as Kolb scored from Zielinski and Chase 1:30 into the session. Zielinski had a hand in the third UNE goal which came midway through the second, taking a pass from sophomore Zach Lokey (Elizabethtown, Pa.) and finding senior Scott McManaman (Amherst, Nova Scotia) to make it 3-1.

Zielinski was named the event's Most Valuable Player, and was joined to form half of the all-tournament team by teammates Brendan Brickley (Everett, Mass.) and Shayne Toohey (Beaconsfield, Quebec). Burke and Tim Niedzielak earned spots on the team representing UMass Boston.

Ryan finished with 29 saves for Big Blue, which resumes its ECAC East League schedule on Friday with a home contest against Babson College (7 p.m.). The Nor'easters square off with the Beacons again on Saturday.

UMass Boston -- which received 24 stops from Alex Scola -- visits the University of Southern Maine on Friday.