SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (October 31, 2026) – The Western New England men's ice hockey team concluded its opening weekend of the 2026-27 season on Saturday afternoon with a 7-0 loss to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Thoroughbreds scored three goals in the opening period, added two in the second and closed the contest with two more in the third. Bryan Tang led Skidmore with two goals and an assist, while Western New England goaltenders Nikita Volsky and Zack Burleigh combined to make 46 saves.

Records:

• Western New England: 0-1-1

• Skidmore College: 1-0-0

How it Happened:

First Period:

• Western New England opened the game with a faceoff victory from Michael Bottrell, while Nikita Volsky made the Golden Bears' first two saves against Bryan Tang and Dylan Shane. Skidmore broke the scoreless tie at 3:15 when Jacob Zwirecki scored an even-strength goal assisted by Cooper Rice and Brandon Spaulding, giving the Thoroughbreds a 1-0 lead.

• The Golden Bears responded with their first shot on goal at 3:41, coming from Alex Varrin, but Skidmore goaltender Tommy Aitken made the save. The Thoroughbreds extended their lead to 2-0 at 4:26 when Tang scored off assists from Nick Troutwine and Shane Baker.

• Western New England faced its first penalty kill of the afternoon after Jaden Sturge was assessed a tripping minor at 8:48. Volsky turned aside two shots during the disadvantage, helping WNE successfully kill the penalty. Skidmore added its third goal at 11:11 when Rice scored at even strength, assisted by Dylan Shane and Mitchell Floccare, to make the score 3-0.

• The Golden Bears returned to the penalty kill at 13:06 following a hooking penalty against Hayden Rynard. Volsky made four saves during the two-minute disadvantage as Western New England kept Skidmore off the scoreboard on its second power play of the period.

• Western New England recorded two additional shots on goal in the closing minute, with Landon Werner and Pierce Gouin testing Aitken at 19:21 and 19:39, respectively. Volsky finished the opening period with 20 saves as Skidmore carried a 3-0 lead into the first intermission, holding a 23-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Second Period:

• Western New England opened the middle period with Gouin recording a shot on goal just seven seconds after the opening faceoff. Skidmore answered at 1:41 when Tang scored his second goal of the afternoon, assisted by Dylan Shane and Coleman Jenkins, extending the Thoroughbreds' lead to 4-0.

• The Golden Bears received their first power-play opportunity at 3:31 after Skidmore was assessed a bench minor for too many players on the ice. Rynard and Gavin Mastrodonato each recorded shots on goal during the advantage, but WNE was unable to convert before a penalty against Mathew Fortin at 5:25 ended the opportunity. Western New England then successfully killed the ensuing Skidmore power play.

• After shots from Bottrell and Kyle Garland, Skidmore increased its advantage to 5-0 at 9:00 when Tyler Fogu scored at even strength, assisted by Theo Angelopoulos and Christian Day. Penalties assessed immediately afterward gave Western New England another power-play opportunity, during which Fortin recorded a shot on goal at 10:54.

• The Golden Bears successfully killed a tripping penalty against Joshua Kingsbury beginning at 12:50, with Volsky stopping a shot from Tyler Chenevert during the disadvantage. Western New England returned to the power play at 15:31 following an interference penalty against Zwirecki, and Nolan Ring recorded a shot on goal before the advantage expired.

• Hank Garrett added a shot on goal at 18:33 as Western New England continued its offensive efforts. The Golden Bears finished the second period with nine shots on goal, while Volsky recorded 12 additional saves. Skidmore maintained its 5-0 lead through 40 minutes, holding a 37-12 advantage in shots on goal.

Third Period:

• Western New England made a change in goal to begin the third period, with Zack Burleigh replacing Volsky. The Golden Bears began the period with a power-play opportunity following a Skidmore penalty at the end of the second period. Liam Wells and Andrew LaHaie each recorded shots on goal during the opening two minutes, but WNE was unable to break through.

• Skidmore received a power play at 4:01 following a tripping penalty against Fortin. Burleigh made four saves during the two-minute disadvantage, including stops against Bryson Russell, Dylan Shane and Tang, as the Golden Bears successfully killed their fifth penalty of the game.

• Western New England generated additional shots from LaHaie at 6:11, Mastrodonato at 6:19 and Werner at 11:49, but Skidmore goaltender Alex Bonrouhi kept the Golden Bears off the scoreboard. Burleigh continued his work in goal, making saves against Chenevert, Floccare, Spaulding and Jenkins during the middle portion of the period.

• The Thoroughbreds extended their lead to 6-0 at 12:51 when Jack Mackenzie scored an even-strength goal assisted by Zwirecki. Skidmore added its seventh goal at 14:46 when Baker scored off assists from Tang and Jenkins, bringing the score to 7-0.

• Western New England continued to generate shots in the closing minutes, including an attempt from Beau Helmeczi at 15:41. The Golden Bears finished the third period with seven shots on goal, while Burleigh made 14 saves in his 20 minutes of action. Skidmore completed the 7-0 victory, finishing with a 53-19 advantage in shots on goal.

Inside the Crease:

• Western New England finished the contest with 19 shots on goal, recording three in the first period, nine in the second and seven in the third. Skidmore recorded 53 shots, including 23 in the opening period, 14 in the second and 16 in the third.

• Nikita Volsky started in goal for the Golden Bears, making 32 saves over 40 minutes of action. Volsky stopped 20 shots in the first period and 12 in the second, finishing with a .865 save percentage.

• Zack Burleigh entered the game at the start of the third period and recorded 14 saves on 16 shots faced, finishing with an .875 save percentage. The two WNE goaltenders combined for 46 saves.

• Gavin Mastrodonato led Western New England with three shots on goal, while Hank Garrett, Pierce Gouin, Andrew LaHaie and Landon Werner each recorded two.

• Western New England successfully killed all five of Skidmore's power-play opportunities, holding the Thoroughbreds scoreless on 13 power-play shots. The Golden Bears also went 0-for-5 on their own power-play opportunities, recording six shots.

• The Golden Bears recorded 16 blocked shots, led by Mastrodonato and Joshua Kingsbury with three apiece. WNE also won 31 of the game's 68 faceoffs, with Michael Bottrell leading the team with eight victories.

• Skidmore's Bryan Tang led the contest with three points on two goals and an assist. Coleman Jenkins and Dylan Shane each recorded two assists, while Tommy Aitken and Alex Bonrouhi combined for 19 saves to secure the shutout.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England will play its third consecutive road game to start the season on Friday, November 6, at 7:30 p.m., opening conference play against the Salve Regina University Seahawks.