NORTHFIELD, Vt. (Jan. 1) – The #7 Adrian College men's ice hockey team scored three unanswered third-period goals to break open a one-goal game and defeat Nichols, 7-3, in the consolation game of the Northfield Savings Bank Holiday Invitational. The Bison fall to 5-6-1 on the year while the Bulldogs improve to 9-3-0.

Nichols scored all three goals on the power play (3-for-8), capitalizing on the Bulldogs' first penalty to score just 3:12 into the game. Andrew Letellier (Saco, Maine) netted his sixth goal of the year from Andrew Ella (Schomberg, Ontario) to give the Bison a 1-0 lead. Ella finished the night with a goal and an assist and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Adrian answered back with a pair of power-play goals from Zach Graham and Josh Cousineau to hold a 2-1 lead at the end of the frame. The Bulldogs finished 5-for-7 with the man advantage in the penalty-filled game.

Goals by Eric Miller and Graham pushed Adrian ahead, 4-1, by the 10:43 mark of the middle frame before the Bulldogs found themselves in penalty trouble. Nichols couldn't convert on two-straight power-play chances, but on the third, Ella cut Adrian's lead in half at 15:13 with his sixth goal of the year from Zach Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) and Will Munson (Corona, Calif.)

Matt Sayer (Lowell, Mass.) scored his team-leading 11th goal of the year in the opening minutes of the third period to bring the Bison within one, 3-4. Kohn and Munson earned assists on the play.

From there, however, the Bulldogs scored three unanswered goals – two on the power play - to take the game. Graham completed the hat trick at 6:07, and Mike Dahlinger scored the game's first even-strength goal just past the midway mark for a 6-3 lead. Mike Towns capped the scoring at 15:58 with a power-play score.

Brad Fogal stopped 27 shots in the win, while Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) made 28 saves in the loss.

Nichols will look to snap a three-game skid when the Bison return to action on January 8th in a 4:35 p.m. game at Assumption.

Box Score