Ryan Bloom

Bloom's hat-trick powers Nor'easters past Western New England

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More Photos by Kathy Amoroso

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Rookie Ryan Bloom continued his stellar play, scoring three times to lead the University of New England men's ice hockey team to a 6-1 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) victory over Western New England University on Thursday night (Jan. 26) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

Now 5-1-1 in their last seven outings, the Nor'easters improved to 9-6-2 overall and 6-4-2 in conference play. The Golden Bears dropped back to 6-10-2 (3-7-1 CCC).

The two-time reigning CCC Rookie of the Week, Bloom added an assist to his first career three-goal game and has now tallied a point in the last eight games, including an amazing output of 18 points in the squad's last six outings.

Dylan Bengtson, Tucker Ross and Brady Fleurent had UNE's other goals.

Josh Twietmeyer scored a late third-period goal for the Golden Bears.

Bloom notched the lone marker of the first period (13:24), collecting a loose puck in the lower right portion of the slot and stuffing it home. Trevor Fleurent assisted on the play [WATCH].

UNE would explode for three goals in a span of 4:05 in the latter stages of the middle period to pull away. Bengtson potted a slap shot from the right circle to make it 2-0 at 13:12, with Blaise Healy and Dustin Walsh getting assists [WATCH]. Bloom would get his second of the evening just 30 seconds later [WATCH] -- assisted by the Fleurent brothers -- and then cap the Nor'easters' outburst with another on a beautiful top-shelf wrister from the right circle at 17:17 of the frame [WATCH]. Trevor Fleurent had a helper on the goal.

The Nor'easters extended their margin to 5-0 at 5:32 of the third when Ross scored on the power play with a slap shot from the high slot [WATCH]. Bengtson and Healy were credited with assists. They would make it 6-0 at the 14:56 mark as Ross and Bloom set-up Brady Fleurent's 13th goal of the season [WATCH].

It appeared as if UNE might record its second shutout of the season, but Twietmeyer got the Golden Bears on the scoreboard with 3:12 remaining. David Kleyman won a defensive zone face-off for Western New England and bounced a pass off the right boards that Twietmeyer collected before breaking in and beating UNE goaltender Tate Sproxton with a backhand. 

Sproxton played a strong game in goal for the Nor'easters, making 24 saves to up his record to 6-2-1.

Western New England starting goaltender Kevin Gollmer had 25 stops in 54:56 of ice time. Kyle Carducci came on to make one save the rest of the way.

Both teams are back in action Saturday evening. The Golden Bears take on Suffolk University on the road (7:30 p.m.), while the Nor'easters host No. 14 Colby College in a non-conference tilt getting underway at 7 p.m.