Box Score Boxscore

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Senior captain Greg Strootman and junior Brett Jackson each scored two goals to lead the Nichols College men's ice hockey team to a 6-2 win over Western New England University in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast action Thursday night at Smead Rink. With their third-straight win, the Bison move to 12-4-2 overall and move into first-place in the conference standings at 5-1-1. The host Golden Bears (9-9 overall, 3-4 ECAC Northeast) fall back to the .500-mark for the first time since November, and lost at home for only the second time in nine starts.

Senior captain Brian Prost and junior transfer Joe Budnick scored for Western New England, which couldn't overcome a 3-0 deficit after 20 minutes.

Nichols outshot the Golden Bears by a slim 37-36 margin, including 15 to 7 in the third period when the Bison got insurance goals from Strootman and Jackson.

Sophomore Sean Fleming added three assists, giving him 12 points in his last five games (4-8-12) for the Bison, who also got two assists apiece from sophomore Steve Lecey and freshman Mike Weaver. Eight different Nichols student-athletes registered at least one point.

Sophomore Alex Larson stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced to improve to 9-4-2 on the season. Senior starting goaltender Eric Sorenson made six saves in 11 minutes and 49 seconds of action before giving way to junior Tim Carr who ended up with 25 stops over the last 48:11.

The Bison play at Becker at 5 p.m. Saturday, while the Golden Bears host Curry at 4:40 p.m.--with the game available on webcast at WNEGoldenBears.tv

More details to come later...