WESTFIELD, Mass. – Cooper Board, Christopher Miraldo, and Emile Tremblay scored three even strength goals in an 8:56 span beginning midway through the second period to stake homestanding Westfield State University to a three-goal advantage, and the hosts went on to a 4-2 win over the Keene State College men's ice hockey team on Thursday night at the Amalie Park Ice Arena.

It is the first time the Owls (2-3-1) have allowed the first goal in the last four games, but the second time in the last three contests they have fallen behind by multiple goals.  Westfield (3-2-0) had lost two straight, but got a measure of revenge against KSC, who beat them 3-1 at Keene Ice last Thursday for their first NCAA Division III victory.

The game was scoreless until the midpoint of the second, when Board entered the zone himself and weaved through defenders before ripping a shot from the left faceoff dot past Ben Skelton for a 1-0 lead.  Westfield made it 3-0 with two goals in 57 seconds, as Jesper Seeberg carried behind the net and fed Miraldo for the first tally at the 17:56 mark.  Not even a minute later, Board corralled the puck in KSC's attacking zone and moved up the middle of the ice before cutting left and firing on Skelton.  The Owls' goalie made the initial stop but Tremblay was there to clean up the rebound into an open net for a 3-0 advantage, which Westfield carried into the second intermission.

Keene State chipped into the lead with a Corey Tumenas power play goal off a wristshot from distance with 7:16 to go, but surrendered a fourth goal just 18 seconds later as Julian Boisclair restored Westfield's three-goal lead quickly.  Thor Hansen ripped a shot that found its way through Aiden Winslow just 40 seconds after that to make it a 4-2 game, but KSC could not get any closer, taking three penalties in the later stages of the third to help deny any comeback attempt.

Skelton made 36 saves in the Owl net while Winslow stopped 28 in a winning effort for Westfield.

"We have to start better and we have to be more consistent," said Keene State head coach Bobby Rodrigue.  "Tonight is probably the first night we have not been satisfied with the team's play.  Our goaltenders were good again though."

The Owls return home to take on the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1-1-0) on Saturday (November 16) at 3:30 p.m.  UMD has not played since beating KSC 4-2 at home last Saturday.