KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College men's ice hockey team three times drew within a goal including for the final time with 12:50 left in regulation but never could find the equalizer as they fell to Plymouth State University 4-3 in Little East Conference action at Keene Ice on Saturday.

Postgame Interview (Coach Rodrigue)
 
The Owls (5-14-0, 1-12-0 LEC) continue to show signs of progress as the season goes on, including playing all four LEC opponents they have now seen twice better than they had previously, but perhaps that only adds to the frustration as they lost by a goal for the second time on the weekend and for the third time in the last four games.  Six of the losses during their current 10-game slide are by two goals or less, including three in overtime.
 
Last night against New England College, KSC scored on the power play three times in seven chances including twice in the third period as they scored three times to erase a 6-3 deficit after two (that was 6-2 at one point) before falling with 20 seconds in overtime.  Tonight, however, they came up empty on six man-up chances – three of which came in the third period – and that proved critical.  The Owls did score just seconds after the expiration of the second opportunity as Thor Hansen entered the zone and passed to his left and found Peter Unger in the high slot, who rifled one past Plymouth goalie Brandon Shantz to his stick side to make it 4-3 with just under 13 minutes to go.  Shantz made four saves over the ensuing three minutes to keep his team ahead, including stopping a blast from Zack Chouinard and Michael Boschetto off the rebound, but KSC got another power play with a chance to tie the game as Kim Hilmersson was called for high-sticking.  The Panthers (11-8-1, 8-4-1 LEC) killed it off with ease though, as the visitors landed the only shot on target in the two minutes.
 
Ben Skelton made five of his seven third period saves in the subsequent six minutes to keep it 4-3, but the Owls did not generate many high-quality chances late, managing just five shots (two on target) in the final five minutes.
 
It was ultimately another slow start, as the Owls allowed a goal just 1:32 in, and special teams that were the deciding factors.  Plymouth scored twice on the power play, including 3:42 into the second when Payton Schaly (goal in 10 of last 11 games) stayed sizzling hot and doubled the visitors' lead.  KSC got within one for the first time when Jared Martin tied up Shantz behind the net and fed a pass out in front to John Belisle who buried it into the empty net at 9:03 of the second, but Tucker Shedd's power play goal less than four minutes later made it 3-1.  Marcus Chrisafideis answered only 21 seconds after that to make it 3-2, but again momentum was fleeting as the Owls got caught in a change and Brendan Doyle toe dragged and ripped a shot into the lower left corner with 4:07 left in the period to make it 4-2.  That was also just seconds after Sean Hoffman had a clear shot at goal from right in front, but Shantz sticked it away.  The Owls killed off an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the final three minutes of the second to keep it 4-2 and got off 11 shot attempts in the opening 6:22 of the third before they got within a goal, but it ended with another frustrating defeat.
 
Hansen extended his point streak to four games, registering a goal and six assists in that span.
 
Skelton finished with 37 saves, 30 of them coming in the opening two periods while Shantz stopped 25 for Plymouth, 10 in the third period.
 
KSC concludes their three-game homestand against Salve Regina University (18-4-0), receiving votes in the most recent USCHO poll, on Tuesday (February 3) at 7:00 p.m.