HARRISVILLE, R.I. (11/3/23) – Junior Gabe Temple scored with 57 seconds remaining in the third period as the Nichols College men's hockey team beat the Wentworth Institute of Technology in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) match up from Levy Rink on Friday night.

Temple scored his first goal of the season and junior Carson Asper also scored his first goal with the Bison on the power-play. Seniors Quinn McCarthy and Sebastian Miedema, sophomore Jack Lee, and freshman Zach Vandale all added assists in the win.

Both teams battled for 40 minutes but neither team was able to find the back of the net. The Leopards and Bison each traded chances with the Leopards outshooting the Bison 25-21 through two periods.

Nichols broke a 0-0 tie 1:51 into the third period with a power-play goal. McCarthy fired a shot from the half wall towards the goal and Asper deflected the shot down on goal and the potted in his rebound to give Nichols a 1-0 lead. Vandale grabbed a secondary assist on the power-play goal. This point was the first collegiate point for the freshman.

Wentworth continued to apply pressure to the Bison for ling periods in the third period. The Leopards drew even with just over five and a half minutes remaining in the third period. Nichols cleared the puck to center ice and the clear was knock down by the defensemen, Cade Penney. Penney skated into the zone and flicked a back hand centering pass from below the goal line and the puck slid right to Brendan Young who buried the shot past senior Mathias Backstrom.

The game looked like it was headed for extra time. Nichols drew a penalty with 96 seconds remaining in the third period. The Bison power-play went back to work. Miedema and Lee played catch along the blue line before Lee laid a pass off to Temple, who stepped into the one timer and ripped the shot over the Leopards netminder's shoulder into the net for a 2-1 lead.

The Bison hung on to the 2-1 lead for the win, earning their first win of the season and CCC points against Wentworth. The Bison went a perfect 5-5 on the penalty kill and went 2-5 with the player advantage. Backstrom stopped 36 of 37 shots for his first win of the season.

Nichols (1-1-0, 1-0-0 CCC) will look for the sweep over Wentworth as they travel to Boston, Mass. to take on the Leopards at 3 p.m. from Allied Veterans Rink.