WESTFIELD, Mass. –  Sophomore Matthew Menta (Lima, Pa.) and freshman J.B. Baker (Columbia, Md.) each collected two assists in Nichols College's 4-3 win at Westfield State Thursday night in non-conference men's ice hockey action at Amelia Park Ice Arena.
 
Juniors Scott Cuthrell (Watertown, Mich.) and Cody Rodgers (Austin, Texas), sophomore Daniele Iasenza (Pierrefonds, Quebec), and freshman Justin Tiso (Suffern, N.Y.) scored for the Bison, who held a 36-25 edge in shots and went 1-for-5 on the power play. Junior Nic Passero (Fort Erie, Ontario) scored twice for the Owls.
 
Nichols jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Iasenza and Tiso. Iasenza potted his first collegiate goal 2:10 into the contest with assists going to freshman Nicholas Mangone (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and sophomore T.J. Roche (Northport, N.Y.). Later in the period, freshman Hogan Davidson (Duluth, Minn.) set up Tiso for his first collegiate goal at 14:09. Sophomore Ian Spencer (Hawthorne, N.J.) was credited with the second assist on the goal.
 
Cuthrell scored his seventh of the year to make it 3-0 Bison at 3:53 of the second with assists going to Baker and Menta. Freshman Daniel Backstrom (Helsinki, Finland) got the Owls on the board at 13:32 of the second to make it a 3-1 game after 40 minutes.
 
In the third, Passero's first goal at 12:08 brought the home team to within one at 3-2. Rogers answered with his third power-play goal of the season at 16:57 to extend the Bison lead to 4-2. Passero capped the scoring with a goal at 19:46 as the Owls had pulled the goalie for the extra attacker.
 
Junior netminder Colin Brennan (Chester, N.J.) turned aside 22 shots to improve to 6-2-2 on the season. Senior Jonathan LoParco (Vaughan, Ontario) made 32 saves in defeat.
 
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked the ninth all-time meeting between Nichols College and Westfield State University. The Bison are 1-1-2 in the last four and lead the series, 5-2-2.
 
Next Games
Nichols (7-3-2) – Saturday, December 10 vs UNE, 3:40 p.m.
Westfield St. (6-5-0) – Thursday, January 5 @ Southern N.H., 7:30 p.m.