BOSTON--Junior Brandon Stroud tallied two goals and senior John Kelly added two assists, but Western New England couldn't protect a 2-0 lead in a 5-3 loss at the hand of Suffolk in Eastern College Athletic Conference Northeast men's hockey action at the Charlestown DCR Rink on Saturday. The visiting Golden Bears fall to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in ECAC Northeast play, while the Rams up their record to 2-2 and 1-2 in the conference.

Western New England scored two goals 5 minutes and 26 seconds apart in the game's opening 7:20 to chase Suffolk goaltender Brett Roman. Stroud scored the first of his two goals on a feed from Kelly at the 1:54 mark and then senior captain Brian Prost made it 2-0 on another assist from Kelly at 7:20 on the clock.

Despite getting outshot 18 to 11 in the opening stanza, the Rams cut the deficit in half on a goal from Charlie McGinnis 2 minutes later.

The tables turned in the second period when Suffolk outshot WNE by a 15-3 margin. Simon Leahy tied it 2-2 at the 7:20 mark and then he scored the go-ahead goal, shorthanded, with 5:59 left.

Suffolk opened the scoring in the third period while on the power play to go up 4-2 until Stroud potted his second goal at the midpoint to get the Golden Bears within one. Junior Andrew Cramer registered his first assist of the season.

Western New England, which applied more pressure in the final 20 minutes with 18 shots on goal to three for Suffolk, ended with a 39-29 advantage.

Brandon Smolarek played the final 52:40 between the pipes and earned the win for Suffolk by making 28 saves.

The Golden Bears return home on Thursday to host Wentworth Institute of Technology in an ECAC Northeast battle at Smead Rink, starting at 7:10 p.m.