BURRILLVILLE, R.I. (1/10/2026) – The Nichols College men's ice hockey team suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon at Levy Rink, as the Leopards scored twice in the final minutes of regulation before netting the game-winner just 49 seconds into overtime. Nichols built a two-goal lead behind a pair of power-play tallies and controlled much of the contest, but Wentworth's late surge erased the advantage and spoiled the Bison's home effort.
The Bison now sits at 7-7-0 (4-5-0 CNE), while the Leopards move to 4-9-1 (3-7-0 CNE) with the conference win.
The opening period was tightly contested, with both teams trading chances. Nichols found its rhythm late into the period and scored with just 1:05 remaining when
Aaron Hamel buried a power-play goal, finishing a setup from
Jeremy Tremblay and
Alexis Trudeau to give the Bison a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission. Freshman goaltender
Ryan Henry started for the Bison, posting 14 saves in the period to keep the Leopards out.
Nichols continued to push in the second and struck again on the man advantage. At 3:50,
CJ Zezima snapped home a power-play goal off assists from
Luca Ricci and
Gavin Duckworth, extending the Bison lead to 2-0. The Bison outshot the Leopards 14-6 in the period, with
Jeremy Tremblay leading the way with 3 shots on goal.
Wentworth broke through at 7:03 of the third period, as Jake Hines scored at even strength to cut the deficit to 2-1. Nichols held firm for much of the final frame, killing off penalties and blocking shots to protect the lead. With Wentworth skating with an extra attacker from an empty, the Leopards found the equalizer at 19:32, as Mighton Johnson scored to force overtime.
The momentum carried into overtime, and Wentworth ended the contest quickly. At 0:49, Nolan Lowe scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Ian Worthley and Desmond Johnson, sealing the 3-2 comeback victory.
Henry ended the game with 28 saves in another strong showing. Nichols were strong on the power-play, finishing 2-for-4.
The Bison returns on Tuesday for a mid-week Conference of New England game against Johnson & Wales University. Puck drop at the Levy Rink is set for 5:40 PM.
