North Smithfield, R.I. (Jan. 19) -- The Nichols College men's ice hockey team scored four third-period goals to deal Johnson & Wales its first conference loss Wednesday evening in an ECAC Northeast contest at the Rhode Island Sports Center. The Bison scored three power-play and a short-handed goal in the final frame to skate to an 8-4 win and improve to 9-7-1 overall and 2-3 in league play. Johnson & Wales dips to 7-8-1 overall and 4-1 in conference action.

Eleven Nichols players got at least one point in the game, led by senior forward Matthew Roberts (Merrimac, Mass.), who had two goals and an assist.

Nichols got on the board first when sophomore Josh Moles (Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored just 2:48 into the contest. Johnson & Wales responded to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room with a pair of goals just over a minute apart midway through the frame, tying it on a goal by freshman Colin Flynn at the 11:21 mark and going ahead when sophomore Jason Pietrasiak scored at the 12:39 mark.

The visiting Bison struck early in the second and knotted the game at 2-2 on a goal by senior Matt Roberts (Merrimac, Mass.) just 1:42 into the stanza. A power play goal by senior Will Munson (Corona, Calif.) at the 5:26 mark would give Nichols the 3-2 advantage. Once again, JWU responded and evened the score at 3-3 after a short-handed goal by freshman Ryan Sell at the 13:27 mark. The back-and-forth action continued and Nichols regained the 4-3 lead on a power play goal by junior Zach Hendrickson (Farmingdale, N.Y.) with just over five minutes left in the period. The Wildcats battled back and tied the game at 4-4 at the 17:39 mark on a goal by senior Joe Simeone to send the game into the second intermission deadlocked in a 4-4 tie.

Nichols took advantage of three Wildcats penalties in the final period to pot three power-play goals in a 3:50 span and then tacked on a short-handed goal with less than two minutes remaining. Nichols took the 5-4 advantage when sophomore Zach Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) scored at the 10:36 mark, picking up what would prove to be the game-winner.

Sophomore Jake Menzel made 29 saves for JWU in the setback while junior Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) had 24 stops in the win for Nichols, including six saves over the final period of shutout hockey.

The Bison finished the game 4-for-8 on the power play, while holding the Wildcats scoreless in five attempts. Nichols maintained a 37-28 shot advantage.

Nichols continues ECACNE action Saturday in a 1:40 p.m. home game against Suffolk.

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