Men’s ice hockey snapped an eleven-game loss streak with a 4-2 Little East Conference (LEC) win over Western Connecticut State (WestConn) on Saturday, Feb. 7. The Owls entered the game after a 6-0 handling by the Seahawks of Salve Regina. The Wolves hit the ice following a 3-2 victory against LEC opponents New England College, their first LEC win in program history and second win this season.
Both teams took time to get going in the first period, with a WestConn power play two minutes into the first. Keene State killed off the penalty while allowing only two shots. The Owls followed with two unsuccessful power plays of their own, shooting on WestConn twice and allowing one shot.
Minutes into the second, WestConn went up 1-0 on the Owls with a power play goal that got past sophomore goaltender Ben Skelton. With nine minutes left in the period, Keene State responded to even the score with a goal from sophomore forward Mike Collett, assisted by junior forward Marcus Chrisafedeis. The goal was Collett’s first of the season, supported by Chrisafedeis’s 11th assist of the season. The second period ended tied 1-1 with WestConn owning the advantage on shots, leading the Owls 24 to 16.
Keene State came alive in the third period, with an even-strength, unassisted goal from sophomore forward Thor Hansen putting the visitors up 2-1 seven minutes into the third. Eight minutes later, Chrisafedeis put one past WestConn to put the Owls up 3-1, assisted by sophomore forward Kyle Gonzalez. The goal was Chrisafedeis’s ninth of the season and Gonzalez’s fifth assist of the season. WestConn struck back only a minute later with a goal of its own to make it 3-2 with three minutes left. WestConn spent the last two minutes with an empty net, but Keene State capitalized and Hansen scored his second goal of the night. The unassisted empty netter is Hansen’s ninth of the season.
Skelton put up a .943% save percentage, allowing two goals and saving 33. WestConn narrowly beat the Owls on the dot, winning 37 faceoffs to Keene State’s 31.
With the win, Keene State moves to 2-12-0 in LEC play, 6-15-0 overall, holding steady at ninth in conference standings. The Owls return to the ice for their final two home games against Vermont State Castleton and Norwich University on Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14, respectively.
Frank LeBlanc can be contacted at
fleblanc@kscequinox.com
