Statistics

FALMOUTH, Maine -- The No.7 University of New England men's ice hockey team scored three times in the 3rd period to extend to a 5-1 victory over Colby College in the opening round of the Inaugural Lobster Pot Tournament, which began Friday (Jan. 2) at the Falmouth Family Ice Center.

The event -- featuring all four of the state's Division III hockey programs -- will conclude on Saturday when the Nor'easters (9-2-0) square off against No.13 Bowdoin College in the already sold-out championship game at 5:30 p.m. The Polar Bears advanced past the University of Southern Maine by a 5-0 margin to reach the title match.

UNE received goals from five different players and 28 saves out of Harrison Chesney, including a pair of point-blank denials on Colby's Matthew MacDonald and 15 total stops in the final frame.

Dominic Murphy pounced on a turnover in the slot and fired an unobstructed shot past Mules netminder Cooper Rautenstrauch to open the scoring less than four minutes into the contest. The Nor'easters were almost clear with a lead at the 1st intermission, but a breakaway chance by Colby Browne with 7.6 seconds remaining knotted things up.

But just 1:32 into the 2nd, defenseman David Wilcox restored the UNE advantage by cutting into the slot and roofing a pass out of the corner from Juraj Elias.

The 2-1 margin held until early in the 3rd, when Ryan Hadland and Nathan Chickering scored 81 seconds apart. Mike Tersoni, on Hadland's, and Cam Bergeman and Wilcox, registered assists on the plays. Then, as the Nor'easters were cycling on a power play, Drew Olivieri stuffed a one-timer as he crashed the crease. Chickering notched his third point of the day with a one-touch dish from below the goal line, after a feed from Murphy. Murphy and Olivieri entered the afternoon tied for fourth in the country with 1.70 points per game.

UNE killed off another five penalties to stay as the lone squad in Division III yet to allow a power play goal (38-for-38).

Rautenstrauch had 23 saves for the Mules (5-3-1), who began the day receiving votes in the latest national poll.