KEENE, N.H. – The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth took their first lead of the game with 4:23 to go and tacked on a back-breaking insurance goal only 48 seconds later as the Keene State College men's ice hockey team eventually lost 6-3 to the Corsairs (7-5-0, 2-3-0 LEC) in a Little East Conference game on Friday night at Keene Ice.

The loss is the Owls' (5-7-0, 1-5-0 LEC) third straight and fifth in the last six games.  Since leading Fitchburg State University by a goal in the third period Monday in their return to action following a month break, KSC has been outscored 13-3.  Tonight, they had three different leads – but none of them lasted more than four minutes of game time.  Thor Hansen opened the scoring with his team-leading sixth goal of the season at 6:40 of the opening period, but Alex Walker answered with the first of his two goals on the night just 2:26 later.  The game was tied 1-1 at the first intermission and remained deadlocked until Sean Hoffman and Collin Patterson set up a Shane Mazur blast just inside the blue line to put the Owls ahead again (2-1) with 4:47 left in the second.  This advantage lasted just 3:38 when Vincent Nicosia brought the Corsairs level within the last two minutes of the period, but freshman Zack Chouinard buried what appeared to be a momentum-shifting goal with 6.9 seconds left off a transition play that developed when Hunter Scanlon could not glove down a puck by the boards in the neutral zone, springing Filip Tjärnhell forward and into the zone, where he found Chouinard streaking in alone on UMD goalkeeper Graham Burke.

The third period would wind up being one KSC will want to forget.  Walker capitalized on a power play chance just 3:12 in to tie it at three, and despite a pair of power play chances including a small stretch of 5-on-3 action shortly thereafter, the Owls could not provide a quick answer.  Burke made 15 saves in the period for the Corsairs, who were outshot 29-19 over the final 40 minutes yet outscored the Owls 5-2.

Three of those tallies came within the final five minutes as KSC unraveled late, denied taking any points in the opener of an important home conference weekend against a team that entered with one league win in four tries.  What ultimately proved to be the game-winner came in relatively innocuous fashion, as Tyler Stewart won a draw for UMD but the Owls jammed things up from there.  A bouncing puck between the faceoff dots then found Kailin Chen, who appeared to be sending a backhanded pass into traffic in front of the net but it found its way in for the visitors' first lead of the game.  The Corsair advantage was two in the blink of an eye, as after Hansen had a shot blocked with just under four minutes to go, Stewart intercepted an errant pass that found its way out of KSC's offensive zone and buried a transition chance by beating Cameron Reardon glove side after a shifty move in front of the net.  Chris Cardillo then made it three goals in 3:23 with an empty netter with a minute to go, handing the Owls a disappointing defeat.

Reardon finished with 25 saves, including 11 in an opening period in which Keene State managed only five shots on goal offensively but was tied at one.

Hoffman had three assists and was plus-two on the night, upping his offensive output on the season to three goals and six helpers in 12 games.  Chouinard and Mazur were also plus-two and are each plus-five on the season, the second-best on the team behind Peter Unger (+7).  Chouinard has five goals and six assists thus far in his rookie campaign.

On the flip side, special teams have not benefitted KSC's cause so far, as an 0-for-4 power play night leaves them at 6-for-43 on the season (14 percent).  They have allowed opponents to score with the man advantage in four straight games and also surrendered two shorthanded goals on Wednesday.

Keene State will host the University of Massachusetts-Boston (8-4-0, 3-2-0 LEC) tomorrow (Saturday, January 10) for a 5:00 p.m. start at Keene Ice.  The Beacons were outshot 29-25 by Western Connecticut State University tonight but rolled along to a 4-0 win over the Wolves, who are still searching for their first LEC win.  UMB has won five straight and six of seven, a stretch that began with a home upset of then-No. 19 Norwich University on November 22 in Boston.