HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Senior forward Ryan Gervais (Chicago, Ill.) netted a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Nichols College men's hockey team to an 8-5 victory over Southern New Hampshire University in ECAC Northeast Hockey League action Sunday night at June Rockwell Levy Rink. The Bison used four power-play and three short-handed goals and twice came back from a two-goal deficit to improve to 11-1-0 overall and 8-0-0 in league play. The Penmen, who were led by a pair of goals and an assist from sophomore forward Troy Maybury, dip to 4-4-0 overall and 4-2 in ECAC Northeast action.

Nichols saw six skaters register multiple-point games including junior forward Zeke Costello (Shelby Township, Mich.), who picked up his second three-assist game of the season, while first-year forward Andrew Ella (Schomberg, Ont.) and senior forward Anthony Monte (Chicago, Ill.) each added a pair of goals. Sophomore forward Will Munson (Corona, Calif.) chipped in with two assists and junior forward Eric Cremer (Chelsea, Mich.) recorded a goal and an assist.

For the Penmen, rookie forward Mark Smith scored a goal to go with a pair of assists, while Anthony Dercole picked up a pair of helpers. John Frey and Adam Ziegler each scored goals.

Maybury put the Penmen on the board with a power-play goal at 4:33 of the first. His shot from the top of the right circle slipped past Nichols' netminder Keith Fink's (Easton, Md.) extended right leg just inside of the far post, but the Bison were quick to respond as Gervais planted a power-play goal of the faceoff just over a minute later, three seconds into the extra-man opportunity.

Southern New Hampshire rattled off a pair of goals just over two minutes apart to take a 3-1 lead, first on a Smith breakaway at 7:10, then when Frey potted a rebound at 9:20.

Cremer opened the second period with a short-handed goal, the first of three on the night for the Bison, flipping a backhander past a close defender at 4:05 of the frame. The Penmen were quick to answer, as Ziegler planted a rebound to edge Southern New Hampshire ahead, 4-2, at 5:11.

Monte sparked a six-goal spree by the Bison with a power-play score at 5:47. Gervais knotted the game with another power-play goal at 14:14, knocking in a loose puck in front of the net, before Ella gave Nichols the lead with a short-handed breakaway goal at 15:31. Ella fell down briefly at the blueline, but regained control before potting his shot into the upper left corner for the 5-4 lead.

The Bison scored three-straight goals in the third period for an 8-4 lead, first when Monte intercepted a clear attempt while on the penalty kill and slipped it past SNHU netminder Todd Rowley at 2:58. Ella then tipped in a shot from the high slot by Munson two minutes later for a 7-4 lead. Gervais gave Nichols a four-goal lead with the Bison's only even-strength tally of the night with just over seven minutes to play before Maybury deflected a pass from Smith at the right circle to cut the Bison's lead to three at 18:04.

Mike Davis (Monroe, Mich.) earned the win allowing two goals while making 16 saves in 50 minutes of relief action; Fink allowed three goals and made five saves before giving way to the first-year netminder. Rowley finished with 28 saves in the loss.

Nichols is idle until the New Year when the Bison travel to the St. Michael's Holiday Classic to face the host Purple Knights on January 2, 2009, at 4 p.m. The Penmen host Salve Regina on January 10, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score