HARRISVILLE, R.I. (1/24/2025) – The game took extra time, but freshman Ryan Austin scored the game winning goal just 30 seconds into overtime as the Nichols College men's hockey team topped Western New England University 3-2 on Friday night from Levy Rink in Conference of New England (CNE) action.

Austin scored his third goal of the season while sophomore CJ Zezima and senior Gabe Temple added the other goals for the Bison. Zezima chipped in with an assist, while senior Josh Dickson, and juniors Jack Lee and Rocco Bianculli each added assists as well.

Nichols opened the scoring at the 13:18 mark of the first period after they capitalized on a Golden Bears' turnover. Zezima intercepted a breakout pass at the top of the blue line and walked into the high slot and picked the right corner on the WNE goalie for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Zezima's fifth goal of the season and was unassisted.

Nichols dominated the first period out shooting the Golden Bears, 14-4 in the opening 20 minutes. The Bison doubled their lead after Zezima dropped a pass off to Bianculli who fired a wrist shot through traffic and the initial shot was stopped but Temple, crashed the net and cashed in on the loose puck for a 2-0 Nichols lead just 45 seconds into the second period.

The visitors cut into the Nichols lead with a breakaway that beat sophomore Nick Anderson over the left shoulder, making it 2-1 with 12:05 remaining in the second period with the goal coming on the power-play. This period was much more competitive with shot finishing at 14-12 in favor of the Bison.

WNE evened the score in the third period just under five minutes into the frame. From then on out both teams traded chances, including two hit posts from junior Aaron Hamel and a one timed shot from the slot with 90 seconds remaining of the stick of Dickson that hit the pipe as well.

The teams needed overtime to settle the extra point for the conference standings. After an opening face-off win and the Bison attempting two shots before a face-off. Dickson took the draw and won the face-off, Lee fired the cleanly won puck towards the net. The shot was wide but ricocheted off the end boards and found an open Austin on the other side who fired the puck into the open cage for a 3-2 Bison win.

Nichols was 0-1 on the power-play and 3-4 on the penalty-kill including killing a 5-on-3 penalty in the second period. Anderson backstopped the Bison to his fifth win of the season, turning away 25 shots in the win.

Nichols (7-8-2, 3-5-2 CNE) will travel to Olympia Ice Center in Springfield, Mass. to wrap up the weekend against Western New England with a 7:10 p.m. face-off tomorrow night.