Boxscore

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--The Western New England University men's hockey team built a 6-2 lead in the third period and then had to hang on for a 7-5 victory Thursday over visiting Becker College in Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast action at Smead Rink. Junior Dan Monahan led the offense with two goals and an assist for the Golden Bears, who won at home for the first time since November to improve to 8-12 overall and remain in the conference race at 5-4--just three points off the pace. 

Monahan was one of six Golden Bears who registered multiple points, including sophomore Matt Dore with a pair of goals, freshman defenseman Will Preston with a goal and an assist, and junior blue liner Cam Napolitan and sophomores Brandon Stroud and Nick Diorio all with two assists.

David Graham led Becker with two goals among three points, and Korby Anderson also notched three points, including two assists.

Becker outshot Western New England 15-8 in the first period when the teams were tied 2-2 after 20 minutes.

But in the middle stanza, the Golden Bears took control by scoring three times. The Ice Hawks (10-9-1 overall, 1-7-1 ECAC Northeast) almost came back from another two-goal deficit on the evening, but two shots clanged off the crossbar.

Dore's second goal at the 2:38 mark of the third period gave WNE a comfortable 6-2 advantage.

But Becker made things quite uncomfortable later on as Jarrod Clark's first goal of the season 3 minutes and 21 seconds ignited three unanswered tallies. The latter, with an extra skater, came with 1:40 left in the game after a BC timeout just four seconds earlier.

The Ice Hawks continued to have its goal empty in favor of an extra skater, but junior co-captain Brian Prost sealed the win for the Golden Bears with his seventh.