SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Nichols College men's hockey team defeated host Saint Michael's College, 5-3, in the first game of the Saint Michael's College Holiday Classic Friday afternoon at Cairns Arena. Will Munson (Corona, Calif.), and Matt Sayer (Lowell, Mass.) had a goal and assist each to lead the Bison to a 12-1-0 record, while the Purple Knights fall to 1-6-0 on the season.
 
In the second game, Amherst College (4-2-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC) defeated Fitchburg State College (5-5-0, 2-2-0 ECAC Northeast) 4-1, Friday evening.
 
For Nichols, sophomore JoJo Bojanowski (Washington Township, Mich.), senior Jeff Bieber (Littleton, Colo.), and freshman Zach Hendrickson (Farmingdale, N.Y.) netted a goal each. Junior Zeke Costello (Shelby Township, Mich.) tallied two assists, while senior Ryan Gervais (Chicago, Ill.), freshman Brett Englebright (Pekin, Ill.), freshman Andrew Ella (Schomberg, Ont.), junior Eric Cremer (Chelsea, Mich.), and sophomore Matt Roberts (Merrimac, Mass.) all provided one helper apiece. Senior netminder Keith Fink (Easton, Md.) recorded 15 saves in the win.

For Saint Michael's, senior Ryan Mero recorded a goal and an assist, while senior Chris Healey and junior Nick Sheehan scored a goal each. Junior Dave Vorozilchak handed out two helpers, while junior Zach Gieszler and sophomore Matt Rigtrup had an assist each. Senior Tyler Bilton stopped 37 shots in net.
 
Nichols wasted only 24 seconds to find the back of the net when Munson scored his eighth goal of the season, which came off the rebound of Gervais' shot. Sayer and Costello then found Bojanowski for his second goal of the season, 48 seconds after Munson's score.

At the 17:10 mark in the second period and both teams a man down, Costello and Englebright assisted on Bieber's third score of the season.

With 4:30 left in the second period the Purple Knights got on the board on the 5-on-4 advantage, when Gieszler and Vorozilchak found Healey for his fourth goal of the season. On the man advantage, 3:21 into the third period, Ella and Munson found Sayer for his fifth goal of the season.

Nichols added its second goal of the period, 6:07 in, when Hendrickson netted his second goal of the season which came from Cremer and Roberts. Saint Michael's then scored two goals in the span of 23 seconds to cut the deficit to two.

The first of the two came off the stick of Sheehan for his first goal of the season, coming from Mero and Vorozilchak. Mero then took a feed from Rigtrup for the senior's second goal of the season, but it wasn't enough as Nichols held on for the victory.

Nichols will now take on Amherst at 1 p.m. Saturday on the final day of the Saint Michael's College Holiday Classic.

Story courtesy St. Michael's College Sports Information

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