Statistics

UTICA, N.Y. -- Despite scoring twice in the opening 4:47, the University of New England men's ice hockey squad needed a pair of 3rd-period goals to register a 4-4 draw with Oswego State (SUNY) in the consolation match of the Delta by Marriott Thanksgiving Showcase at Utica University's Adirondack Bank Center on Saturday (Nov. 30). Then, after a scoreless overtime period, the Nor'easters won the shootout (2-1)

Trailing by one in the shootout, Juraj Elias came in with speed and snapped one to tie it. Stefan Carney then stuffed Ryan Burke on the second attempt by the Lakers, and Drew Olivieri capitalized for UNE with methodical stick-handling and ultimately a backhand finish up high. The Nor'easters didn't even to try a third time, as Carney steered Brandon Cohen wide to seal it.

UNE now takes its 5-3-1 overall ledger into a big Conference of New England (CNE) home-and-home weekend with No.5 Curry College, beginning Friday (7 p.m.) in Biddeford.

The deficit in regulation sat at one (3-2) for nearly the entire 2nd period until Daniel Colabufo struck with less than 21 seconds left in the frame. It was Colabufo's second goal of the contest; the first capped a wild 1st period with 1.8 seconds on the clock.

But Ryan Kuzmich got one back for the Nor'easters 1:41 into the 3rd with a redirection in front. Carney turned in nine of his 24 saves in the period to hold the margin at 4-3, until, with 4:05 remaining, Brayden Cook punched in a point-blank look off a feed from Ike Keller to knot things up. David Wilcox assisted on both goals in the stanza.

The ice was tilted in UNE's favor the rest of the way, but Oswego's Brandon Milberg made a couple of key stops in the final minute to keep things even. Both Milberg and Carney each turned away two tries in overtime, as well.

Milberg wound up with 25 saves after relieving starting goalie Gavin McCarthy, who was between the pipes until the Nor'easters surged to a 2-0 cushion. First, it was Chip Hamlett diving around a defender to poke in a loose puck on the edge of the crease at the 3:37 mark. Just 60 seconds later, Noah Szretter cut into the middle and sniped a wrister into the top-left corner.

Scores by Burke on the power play (12:15) and Josh Simpson while shorthanded (15:40) got the Lakers level later in the 1st, before Colabufo found the cage for the Oswego lead.

Joining Wilcox with two assists for UNE were Olivieri and Dominic Murphy, and Kuzmich also had two points. Jacob Pellerin had three blocked shots.