KEENE, N.H. – Thor Hansen scored on the power play 13 minutes into the second period and Luke Festa added his first career goal halfway through the third period as the Keene State College men's ice hockey team downed Westfield State University 3-1 for their first NCAA Division III win in program history on Thursday night at Keene Ice.

Postgame Interview (Bobby Rodrigue)
Postgame Interview (Ben Skelton)

The Owls (1-1-1) dropped a wild opener 6-5 in overtime last Friday and tied at Vermont State University Castleton 1-1 on Saturday before winning the shootout, but this time relied on a stingy defensive effort to come out on top.  Ben Skelton engineered another impressive performance, turning aside 36 of 37 shots in the victorious effort.  He has now allowed just two goals over his last 125 minutes of action, a span in which KSC has also played more disciplined hockey.  The Owls did not take a penalty over nearly the final 40 minutes, and it was a power play goal as a result of a five-minute major boarding penalty to Jesper Seeberg halfway through the second that helped KSC break the scoring ice when Hansen was right in front of the net to tip home Sean McBride's blast from distance.

Keene State picked up a huge insurance tally halfway through the third when Declan House banked a pass off the boards and out of the Owls' defensive zone to spring a speeding Festa forward, who stickhandled around aggressive WSU goaltender Aiden Winslow and potted it while falling to the ice.

Westfield got back within one when Cooper Board scored with under four minutes to go, but the Owls held them off from there and got a Kyle Gonzalez empty net goal in the final seconds to ice it.