Box Score

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Sophomore Trevor Fleurent netted four goals as the University of New England closed out the ECAC East regular-season with an 8-1 triumph on Saturday (Feb. 14) in men's ice hockey action at Sullivan Arena.

The Nor'easters (9-13-2) move to 7-9-2 and 16 points in league outings, and will face Castleton State College in the opening round of the league playoffs. Big Blue and the Spartans currently share fourth place in the standings with CSC still having one game remaining. The official pairings for the tournament will be announced on Monday after that contest concludes.

Fleurent's five-point performance sets the program record for a single-game, passing three players that had previously posted four points in one night. His goal total now shares the UNE record that senior Jared Melman established last season.

Big Blue junior Ben Pearl also booked a new school game record with four assists. Classmate Tom Gildersleeve factored in three scores.

The rest of the UNE offense, which reached its scoring output on just 20 shots, came from senior Zeth Zielinski and sophomores Blaise Healy, Nick Wirth, and David Goff.

Senior goalie Colby Drost upped his personal conference ledger to 7-6-2 by turning away 24 attempts that were sent his direction. 

After markers from Fleurent and Zielinski in the 1st period, the Nor'easters scored four times (Fleurent, Healy, Fleurent, Wirth) in six tries on-target in the 2nd frame. Fleurent and Goff capped the day in the 3rd as UNE was out-shot 11-6.

For the Hawks (9-13-3, 7-9-2 ECAC East), Mark Meads made it 3-1 a little more than six minutes into the middle session. Goalies Shayne Joyce (39:57) and Brendan Cain (20:00) made eight and four saves, respectively.