WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 15, 2025) – Despite scoring the first goal of the game on Saturday night, the Western New England men's ice hockey team was clipped in Conference of New England play at the Olympia Ice Center, falling to the fifth-ranked Nor'easters of the University of New England by a final score of 3-1. The two teams combined to go 2/15 on the power play in a penalty-filled night. 

Records:

• Western New England: 0-4, 0-3 CNE
• No. 5 University of New England: 5-0, 4-0 CNE

How it Happened:

First Period:

• Nikita Volsky made the start for the Golden Bears on Saturday and was tested early, making a quick two saves in the first two minutes of the game to keep the high-flying Nor'easters off the scoreboard. Western New England had the first power play in the game when UNE's Cam Bergerman was whistled for a high stick. Stepan Kuznetsov had the lone shot on goal before WNE's power play came to an end on a penalty of their own just 3:51 into the game. 
• On a four-on-four chance, the Golden Bears opened the game with the first goal when Mario Scalise skated into the zone with a two-on-one with Gavin Mastodonato, who took a pass from Scalise and beat UNE's Stefan Kulhanek, giving the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead, their first goal of the season against the Nor'easters. UNE responded just 3:11 later on the power play as Juraj Elias found the back of the net for the fourth time this season on assists from Dominic Murphy and Chip Hamlett, evening the score in the game. 
• Both teams then skated at even strength, testing both goalkeepers. Volsky faced 15 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, making 14 saves while Kulhanek faced seven shots, making six saves for the Nor'easters, with the teams locked at one after one period. 

Second Period: 

• The Nor'easters spent more of the attack in its offensive zone in the second period, but not before the Golden Bears picked up chances five minutes into the period when a pair of shots from Nick Theodos were blocked while Mastrodonato and Michael Bottrell got shots towards the net, but none found twine. The Nor'easters found a goal with 11:40 remaining in the second period when Braxton Powers scored for the second time this season against the Golden Bears, this time on assists from David Wilcox and Ryan Hadland, giving the Nor'easters a 2-1 lead. 
• The Golden Bears were doomed by their penalties on Saturday night, seeing UNE take advantage of one at the midway point of the second period, scoring their second PPG of the game when Drew Olivieri scored his fifth goal of the season, coming on assists from Juraj Elias and Cam Bergeman, giving the Nor'easters a 3-1 lead. 
• Western New England had a power play chance with less than five minutes to play in the period, but did not get a shot on goal. UNE nearly picked up its third goal of the period when Dominic Murphy's shot hit the top right corner of the post with 1:24 left in the period, but the Golden Bears got out of the period without giving up another tally, seeing the Nor'easters lead 3-1. 
• UNE took 17 shots on goal, with Volsky making 15 saves. WNE had nine shots on goal for the period. 

Third Period:

• Six penalties came about in the third period, five of which belonged to UNE, giving Western New England chances to get back into the game. UNE dominated much of the first seven minutes of action, as Volsky made four saves early on. 
• The Golden Bears spent much of the third frame on the power play, including a 5-on-3 late in the game following a five minute penalty on the Nor'easters, but the Golden Bears managed just one shot on goal in the final four minutes of the game, not enough to defeat the fifth-ranked Nor'easters on Saturday, falling by a final score of 3-1. WNE did not allow a goal to UNE in the frame, erasing a disastrous 11-0 loss last Saturday afternoon to the same Nor'easter squad. 
• WNE picked up nine more shots on goal in the third period, while the Nor'easters had 11. 

Inside the Lines:

• Gavin Mastrodonato scored his first goal of the season to open the scoring on Saturday afternoon. Mario Scalise picked up the assist. 
• Nikita Volsky had 40 saves for Western New England in the losing effort, double-digits in each period. 
• The Golden Bears were penalized eight times in the game, all minors. UNE took seven penalties, one major. 
• Jimmy Mettler led the Golden Bears with four blocked shots on the ice. 
• This is UNE's 22^nd straight win over the Golden Bears. The two-goal margin is the lowest in a game since 2023 (six games).

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears host Johnson & Wales University for a Thursday night game at the Olympia Ice Center on November 20 at 6:30 PM in CNE action.