Box Score

RUTLAND, Vt. -- Sophomore Christian Merritt scored the first two goals of his career and assisted on another as the University of New England picked up a 3-2 road win over Castleton State College in an ECAC East men's ice hockey contest Friday night (Jan. 16) at Spartan Arena.

The Nor'easters move to 5-9-1 overall with the result, 3-6-1 in league play. The Spartans, who had shutout UNE earlier in the season, drop to 5-11 (3-6-0 ECAC East).

After a delay of nearly two hours at the start of the match, Merritt wasted little time getting the visitors on the board off a feed from classmate Trevor Fleurent just 1:01 into the game. Castleton answered just past the midway mark of the 1st period on a goal by Nick Kovalchik, and the tie remained into the break.

Despite being out-shot by a 19-4 margin in the 2nd frame, Fleurent notched his team-leading sixth marker of the year for what would be the only goal of the stanza. Merritt assisted on the play that gave the Nor'easters a 2-1 cushion through 40 minutes.

The spread was upped to 3-1 on yet another early score by Merritt with just 1:02 gone in the 3rd. UNE junior Cassidy April was credited with an assist on the deciding score.

The Spartans got one back with 4:28 left as Derek Gingera found the back of the net, and the hosts played with an extra skater during the final 1:51, but could not put the equalizer past Big Blue senior goalie Colby Drost.

Drost denied three shots in the closing sequence, while watching several other sail wide, to finish the evening with 40 saves.

UNE heads into New York to face Skidmore College on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.).

Castleton State, which received 17 stops out of Ryan Mulder, entertains the University of Southern Maine at the same time.