Box Score Box / Text / Sheet

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Brandon Bete scored a power-play goal with 4 minutes and 55 seconds left in the game to lift visiting Assumption College to a 4-3 non-conference men's hockey win over Western New England University at Smead Rink at Blunt Park on Saturday evening. With the win, the NCAA Division II Greyhounds even their road record to 2-2 and improve to 4-7 overall. The Golden Bears fall to 1-7-1 on the season.

Senior assistant captain Michael Darrar registered a goal and an assist from his defenseman spot, and classmate Joe Budnick matched his point total with two assists, to pace the Western New England offense.

Bete's first goal of the day gave Assumption a 1-0 lead at the 6:41 mark of the opening period.

But WNE junior Chris Lembo tied it less than seven minutes later in the first of six consecutive power-play goals between the teams. Senior Andy Cramer and freshman Will Norris picked up assists on the play.

Assumption took advantage of a costly 5-minute major elbowing penalty assessed to senior Malik Garvin, who also received a game misconduct, scoring twice on the power play opportunity that carried over into the second stanza. Joe Arcieri scored unassisted with just 32 seconds left in the first period, and Paul Amarone took a feed from Ben Kuzma to make it 3-1 at the 2:38 mark of the second.

Western New England, however, didn't back down and got one back later in the frame. At 8:03 showing on the clock, Darrar netted his first goal of the season on assists from junior Ryan Taylor and Budnick.

Senior captain Brandon Stroud opened the scoring in the third period to pull WNE even at 3-3. Budnick and Darrar got the assists on Stroud's second goal of the season at 2:24.

For the game, WNE was 3-for-4 on the man-advantage while AC was 3-for-10.

Assumption outshot the Golden Bears by a 35 to 26 margin. Senior Tim Carr made 31 saves in the WNE goal while AC's Chris Hemhauser had 23 stops.

Western New England pulled Carr for the final 49 seconds in favor of an extra attacker but couldn't get the tying goal at 4 to send the contest into overtime.

Western New England will play its second Division II opponent in as many days tomorrow afternoon, this time traveling to Manchester to play host Southern New Hampshire University, facing off at 6:30 p.m.