FITCHBURG, Mass. – Aleksei Filimonov scored on the power play 2:52 into the third period to tie the game and then added a game-winner one minute into overtime as Fitchburg State University rallied for a 6-5 win over the Keene State College men's ice hockey team Monday night at the Wallace Civic Center.

Playing for the first time in exactly a month, the Owls (5-5-0) three times rallied from a deficit to tie or take the lead, but it was ultimately the Falcons (8-4-0) who had the last say, controlling the last minute and a half of regulation before recording all three shots in the overtime period, the last of which dropped KSC back to .500 on the season.

The Owls twice scored in rapid fashion – including quick responses to allowing a goal – to take a lead, including late in the second when Marcus Chrisafideis scored on the power play 48 seconds after Tye Battipaglia had given Fitchburg State a 4-3 lead.  Michael Boschetto then added another at just 2:22 later to put KSC in front 5-4 with 2:27 to go in the period.  The Owls would carry that lead into the third, leading at the end of each of the first two periods, but it would not last.  On just the second power play of the game (one for each side), Hunter Dunn skated above the faceoff dots and passed off to this right for Filimonov to rip a shot into a wide-open right side of the net to tie it 5-5 less than three minutes into the final period.  KSC accumulated ample zone time right after the Falcons' goal, but it was mostly limited to the outside until Collin Patterson had Peter Unger and Marcus Chrisafideis streaking toward the net with nine minutes to go only for Frederick Soderberg to make three saves in quick succession before Fitchburg iced the puck.  Ben Skelton then made a big save on the other end on an unmarked Andrew Woloszyn with 8:26 to go to keep it tied.  The Owls had an offensive zone faceoff after another icing with a little more than three minutes to go, but a turnover at the blue line forced Skelton to make a huge save on a breakaway chance from Battipaglia with 2:40 left in regulation.  Ryan Koshiol and Declan House closely trailed the play, but he had a clear chance on Skelton, who snuffed out the final backhand effort.  Soderberg kicked out a shot from Thor Hansen with his right leg a minute later, and after the Falcons lofted the puck out of the zone, John Mantone created a chance with his skating that Skelton denied.  Devin Niles' blast off a turnover went wide in the final 20 seconds and Filimonov's try from the boards in the final seconds was sticked away by Skelton to send it to overtime.

KSC never had any chances in the extra session, and their only puck possession resulted in a turnover behind Soderberg's net that helped create the game-winner on a solo effort by Filimonov, who weaved into the zone and fired a shot from between the faceoff dots that beat Skelton stick side to give the Falcons a win to start 2026.  The Owls, who were playing for the first time since a December 5 3-2 home win over King's College (Pa.), fell to .500 for the third time this season and allowed five or more goals for the fourth time (1-3).

The loss spoiled what was a strong offensive night for KSC, who got goals from five different people, including Unger and Kyle Gonzalez 3:50 apart midway into the first period to take a 2-1 lead after the Falcons had gone up 1-0 on Jackson Collins' goal 3:59 in.  Mantone and Battipaglia scored within 3:42 of each other early in the second to help the home team jump back in front, but Gonzalez found Hansen at 9:11 of the second for a 3-3 tie.  Battipaglia gave Fitchburg the lead once more with 5:47 left in the second, but KSC again answered to take a lead after two.  Gonzalez, Chrisafideis, and Hansen all had a goal and an assist.  Collin Patterson, a transfer from Utica University who also played for the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in the first semester last season, also registered his first KSC point with an assist on the game-tying power play goal.

Both teams were 1-for-1 – with one shot – on their lone power play chances.

Battipaglia and Filimonov each scored two to account for four of Fitchburg's six goals.  They were also both plus-three.

Skelton made 34 saves in the KSC net and Soderberg 24 for Fitchburg.

Chase Carney went 14-1 at the faceoff dot and the Owls 34-27 overall.

"I thought we had several really good stretches of play tonight," said KSC head coach Bobby Rodrigue.  "Consistency is what wins college hockey games though, and our group just can't seem to find that still.  It is frustrating."

The Owls will not have much time to stew over the loss, with tonight's game kicking off a stretch of four games in six days to begin the new year.  KSC travels to face Westfield State University (8-4, 4-1 MASCAC) on Wednesday (January 7) for a 1:25 p.m. start before a very important home conference weekend against UMass-Dartmouth and the University of Massachusetts-Boston Friday and Saturday.