KEENE, N.H. – Shane Mazur found a hard-charging Corey Tumenas racing past the left faceoff dot for what turned into the game-winning goal with 2:25 left in overtime as the Keene State College men's ice hockey team rallied from a 3-2 third period deficit to beat St. Michael's College 4-3 on Saturday in their final home game at Keene Ice in the 2024 calendar year.

Postgame Interview (Bobby Rodrigue)
Postgame Interview (Corey Tumenas)

The Owls (4-5-1) are no stranger to the extra session, having required more time in now half the games in their first NCAA Division III season, going 2-2-1.  Tumenas' game-winner came as a result of sustained pressure in the Purple Knights' (9-4-0) defensive zone in the 3-on-3, with Chase Carney passing from below the right faceoff dot to Mazur just inside the blue line.  The Owl freshman carried to his left toward the middle and while doing so fired a perfect pass between two St. Michael's defenders, freeing Tumenas for a clear shot at goal below the left faceoff dot that he capitalized on, beating SMC goalie Cole Manahan blocker side to give KSC an uplifting win that leveled their home record at 2-2-0.  It was also a deserved victory, as the Owls controlled the game on the statsheet, outshooting St. Michael's 36-27 including 20-10 in the third period and overtime.  KSC also was 39-28 in faceoffs, paced by a 15-3 mark from John Belisle.

The Owls had a pair of leads in the contest, including a very early goal from Thor Hansen just 2:30 in as he tipped home an initial shot from Jack Lindholm that bounced around in front and got Manahan off balance.  St. Michael's tied it late in the period with their first of two power play goals on the day, as defenseman David Ciancio's shot from just inside the blue line snuck its way through traffic and in to make it 1-1 with 4:04 left in the first.

KSC cashed in their initial power play chance of the game eight minutes into the second to jump back in front as they cycled the puck around toward the tail end of a 5-on-3 advantage.  Marcus Chrisafideis sped into the offensive zone up the left side before passing back to Mazur up top, who then found Tumenas moving toward the right faceoff dot.  The Fitchburg State University transfer then beat Manahan stick side on the far post to put the Owls up 2-1.  It stayed that way for most of the rest of the period as KSC killed off two more minor penalties, but St. Michael's scored a momentum-shifting goal up a man with less than a second to go until the intermission.  With Kyle Gonzalez off for a cross check, the Purple Knights made one last push halfway through their power play, entering the zone with 11 seconds to go.  Ashton Allain eventually corralled a pass near the left faceoff dot with six seconds left, wheeled around in a mini circle, and fired a shot toward goal that found its way in near the far post to make it 2-2 with eight tenths of a second remaining.  It was the second power play goal of the day, the second tally by a defenseman for the visitors, and the seventh power play goal allowed at home by KSC this season.  The Owls did, however, kill off six of the Purple Knights' eight power play chances.

Keene State found themselves trailing for the first time all day with 12:06 to go in regulation, as St. Michael's jumped in front when Brayden Naumann dropped the puck off up the right side in the zone for Jack Bavis.  Naumann then moved toward the front of the net and was there to tip home Bavis' pass and beat KSC goalie Ben Skelton stick side to make it 3-2.  Their lead did not last long, as Mazur lasered a shot from just inside the zone past a screened Manahan to tie it with 8:29 left for his first career goal.

The Owls pressed to retake the lead, but Manahan made six stops in a four-minute span to keep it tied.  KSC then preserved the deadlock by killing off a late-period power play for the Purple Knights.  Ciancio blocked a pair of shots (SMC had 19 on the day) and Manahan made two other saves in the final two minutes to help send the game to overtime, where KSC won for the first time at home in the extra session.

Manahan finished with 32 saves – 18 in the third period and overtime – for the Purple Knights, who were coming off a 3-0 home win over Wesleyan University (Conn.) on Friday night and lost on the road for the first time (4-1-0).  Skelton stopped 24 shots in the winning effort for the Owls. 

KSC has scored 19 goals in their last four games and won consecutive games for the first time.

The Owls are back at it for their final game of the calendar year tomorrow (Sunday, December 8) when they visit Tumenas' previous school, Fitchburg State (7-1-0, 4-1-0 MASCAC), at 5:30 p.m.  St. Michael's is off until Friday, January 3 when they visit the State University of New York at Potsdam (4-8-0, 2-4-0 SUNYAC) for a 7:00 p.m. start.