Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England scored three times in the final period to rally for a 5-3 ECAC East men's ice hockey victory over Castleton State College Friday evening (Jan. 17) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

The win snaps a three-game skid for the Nor'easters, who improve to 6-10-1 overall and 3-7-0 in league games. Castleton drops to the .500 mark at 8-8-1, while slipping to 4-5-1 in ECAC East play. The victory is the Nor'easters second win at home over the Spartans in the last two seasons.

Trailing by two midway thru the second period, UNE would score the final four goals of the game to come away victorious.

After Spartan sophomore Derek Gingera scored on the power play to give Castleton a 3-1 advantage, first-year Trevor Fleurent rifled home a wrister from the left circle to get UNE back within one (3-2) at 14:24 and give the hosts some momentum heading into the final frame.

The decisive final period would be all UNE.

Junior Jared Melman tied the game for Big Blue with 1:14 elapsed, converting a rebound of his own missed shot that went wide of the cage and came right back to him off the boards.

First-year Connor Bates would tally a little more than four minutes later. The rookie forward converted a wrist shot from the slot for the game-winner, giving UNE its first lead since the first period.

The Spartans pulled first-year goaltender Mark Hochman for an extra skater with 1:33 on the clock and applied heavy pressure in the Nor'easters defensive end, but UNE senior Zach Lokey broke in behind the Castleton defense and was pulled down from behind. The referees awarded Lokey a goal on the play, giving Big Blue a 5-3 lead with 31 seconds left.

It was Lokey who got the Nor'easters into the scoring column at 9:33 of the first period, knocking in a rebound that had caromed off the boards behind the net.

Castleton answered less than two minutes later on the power play. First-year Chris Stachiw fired home a slap shot from the right point, then sophomore Will Laking lit the lamp at 13:31 when he swept in the puck from the right doorstep.

Junior Colby Drost posted 39 saves in goal for the Nor'easters, who received two assists from junior Zeth Zielinski.

For the game, the Spartans doubled-up the Nor'easters (42-21) in shots on goal. Hochman had 16 stops for Castleton State.

Both teams are right back at it tomorrow afternoon. UNE hosts Skidmore College at 4 p.m., while the Spartans head to Gorham to take on University of Southern Maine at 4 p.m.