Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior captain Greg Strootman (Aston, Pa.) and junior Brett Jackson (Larchmont, N.Y.) each scored two goals as the Nichols College men's ice hockey team won their third-straight game with a 6-2 win over Western New England University in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Northeast action Thursday night at Smead Rink.

Sophomore Sean Fleming (Easthampton, N.J.) added three assists – giving him 12 points in his last five games (4-8-12) – as the Bison moved to 12-4-2 (5-1-1 ECAC Northeast) and remained in first-place in the conference. Sophomore Steve Lecey (Cedarburg, Wis.) and freshman Mike Weaver (Wakefield, Mass.) each recorded a pair of apples, and sophomore Tyler Beasley (Indianapolis, Ind.) racked up a goal and an assist as a total of eight different Nichols student-athletes registered at least one point.

Sophomore Alex Larson (Madison, Ala.) stopped 34 of the 36 shot he faced to improve to 9-4-2 on the season. Nichols outshot the Golden Bears (9-9-0, 3-4-0 ECAC Northeast) by a slim 37-36 margin and scored on two of its seven PP chances.

The Bison scored three goals in a span of 5:29 in the opening period to build a 3-0 lead. Jackson opened the scoring with his sixth of the season at 6:20. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Frank Butler (East Haven, Conn.) netted his 11th of the season and team-leading sixth PP marker to double the Nichols lead. Beasley made it 3-0 with his 10th of the year at 11:49.

The Golden Bears cut their deficit to 3-1 with a goal 9:19 into the second, but Strootman answered with his third of the season at 14:22 to push the Bison leads to 4-1. WNE struck again late in the period to make it 4-2 before third-period goals from Strootman at 8:17 and Backson at 19:17 closed the scoring.

The Bison play at Becker Saturday at 5 p.m. The Golden Bears host Curry Saturday at 4:40 p.m.