NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College men's ice hockey team fell to Colby 5-1 on Friday night at Dayton Arena.
Mules forward Carter Breitenfeldt scored four goals to lead the visitors to a NESCAC victory. With the win, Colby sits in fifth in the conference standings with one regular season game remaining.
The entirety of the contest was contentious and physical, resulting in a game that consisted of several major and minor infractions.
The two squads played an even first period, resulting in a scoreless tie. The Mules slightly edged the Camels in shots on goal 6-4. But in the face-off category, the visitors controlled the action, winning an incredible 18 of 19 against the hosts.
The Mules broke the game open in the second period thanks to a slew of penalties against the Camels, adding four goals during the 20-minute stanza. Breitenfeldt scored three times to complete the second period hat trick. Teammate Tyler Crist added the fourth goal for the visitors at the 16:50 mark.
Near the end of the period, John Russo (South Windsor, Conn.) was able to tally the first goal for Conn. Following a penalty on Colby, the Camels controlled the puck in the Mules defensive zone. After a shot on net by Devan Newhook (St. John's Newfoundland) was saved by goaltender Andy Beran, the puck caromed to Russo who put in the rebound to cut the lead to 4-1 heading into the final period.
Following more penalties in the third stanza, Colby was able to score its final goal of the game off the stick of Breitenfeldt on a power play opportunity at the 17:18 mark. The Mules held off the Camels for the rest of the way to preserve the 5-1 victory.
Beran earned the win in net for Colby, stopping 15 shots. Conn goaltender Cam Fernandez (Fairfield, Conn.) made 22 saves for the hosts.
In total, 11 penalties were committed by the two teams including three misconduct infractions. The Mules held the advantage in face-offs, winning 50 out of 66 attempts.
Connecticut College (5-18 overall, 2-15 NESCAC) will wrap up the regular season on Saturday at home against Bowdoin. Prior to the contest, Conn will honor its seven seniors in a pre-game ceremony. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.
