SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 4, 2016) - Junior Dane Genord (Grand Blanc, Mich.) and freshman Steve Beck (Milton, N.Y.) each scored twice and freshman goaltender Kevin Gollmer (Flourtown, Pa.) registered 43 saves in net as Western New England University earned a 4-1 victory over visiting Nichols College this evening in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast hockey action at Smead Arena.

Gollmer, who stopped all but one of the Bison's 44 shots, earns his first collegiate victory, improving to 1-1-1 on the season, while Nichols sophomore Colin Brennan (Chester, N.J.) falls to 2-1 after stopping 26 of 30 shots.

The Bison opened the scoring 11 minutes into the game, as senior Steve Lecey (Cedarburg, Wisc.) sent a pass up the wall to freshman Ian Spencer (Hawthorne, N.J.). Spencer then put a wrister towards Gollmer which was tipped out front by junior Joey Quintana (East Setauket, N.Y.) for his first of the season. The tipped shot beat Gollmer on the left side of the net in between his blocker and right pad.

Late in a fast paced, high intensity first period, the Golden Bears found the back of the net 18:40 into the frame. Freshman Tyler Hines (North Haven, Conn.) took a hit to make a play and was able to move the puck up the right wall to classmate Brian Hurley (Baldwin, N.Y.), who then drove down the right side of the ice and entered the zone on a 2-on-1 with Beck. Hurley passed the puck across the slot and hit Beck right on the tape. Beck was able to redirect the puck on his backhand up into the top left of the net for his third of the season.

The Golden Bears struck just 29 seconds later on the power play. Senior Chris Lembo (Southington, Conn.) put the puck towards the net from the left point, where freshman Carlos Ross (Brockport, N.Y.) picked it up and fed Genord in the bottom of the right circle. Genord then fired a shot into the top right corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season. The Golden Bears would head to the locker room with a 2-1 advantage that they did not relinquish.

The second period started off with a slower pace but Western New England kept pushing. After a save on a shot from the right corner by Lembo, Ross was able to pick up the rebound and drive around the net to find an open Genord in the high slot. Genord beat the scrambling Bison goaltender for his second of the game and team-leading seventh of the season just 4:22 into the frame.

Late in the second period, junior Josh Twietmeyer (Weston, Fla.) had a great opportunity to extend the Golden Bears' lead with a wrist shot from the right side of the blue line, but his shot rung off the post as Western New England carried a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.

The Golden Bears had another shot at extending their lead midway through the third period, as sophomore Matt Smethurst (Rexford, N.Y.) was able to spring senior Ryan Taylor (Canfield, Ohio) on a breakaway, but Brennan came up with a big stop for the visitors.

The Bison pushed hard for the whole third period still trailing 3-1. Nichols won an attacking zone faceoff and controlled the puck in a 4-on-4 situation, 11 minutes into the third period. Following a shot on net by junior Michael Parnell (Roseville, Minn.), senior Frank Butler (East Haven, Conn.) picked up a rebound and put a shot on net with Gollmer down and out. The freshman goaltender was able to make a huge glove save to preserve the two-goal Golden Bear lead and swing the momentum back in Western New England's favor.

The Golden Bears fended off a flurry of attempts by the Bison late in the third period, before tacking on a fourth goal to seal the victory. Beck got open and received a pass in the neutral zone from classmate Thomas Leistner (Cheektowaga, N.Y.). As Beck drove through the neutral zone, he crossed the blue line looking to pass but instead took advantage of space and fired a wrister from the right faceoff dot and beat Brennan on the short side for his second of the game and fourth of the season.

With the win, the Golden Bears improve to 2-15-3 overall and 1-9-1 in conference play, while the Bison drop to 13-7 and 8-3 in conference play. Western New England returns to action on Saturday at Curry.