HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College men's ice hockey team earned a key Little East Conference (LEC) victory on Saturday night, defeating intrastate foe Plymouth State University 5-1.  

The Panthers opened the scoring in the first period with a power-play goal at the 7:17 mark to take an early 1-0 lead. The Pilgrims responded with scoring chances of their own from freshmen Matteo Viglino (Davos, Switzerland) and Emil Elias (Ekerö, Sweden), but PSU carried their one-goal advantage into the first intermission. 

The 'Grims wasted little time evening the score in the second period as junior Gunnar Sibley (Monticello, Minn.) netted the equalizer just 2:28 into the second period, finishing a setup from freshman Jack Brennan (Hingham, Mass.) and Elias to make it 1-1. Late in the period, NEC turned a Plymouth State power play into momentum of their own, as junior Dylan Duckson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) scored his second shorthanded goal of the season to give the Pilgrims a 2-1 lead. The surge continued minutes later when freshman Serafin Hoerl (Innsbruck, Austria) found the back of the net, extending NEC's advantage to 3-1 with assists from sophomore Egor Osipik (Minsk, Belarus) and freshman Jaeseok Lee (Suwon, South Korea). The Panthers continued to battle, looking to trim the lead, but several attempts sailed wide as the 'Grims headed into the second intermission with the 3-1 lead. 

The Pilgrims maintained their offensive dominance in a physical battle in the final period of action, as freshman Patrick Lindbohm (Helsinki, Finland) recorded his first collegiate goal just 1:48 into the frame to push the lead to 4-1. Despite continued effort from the Panthers, the NEC defense limited their shots, and sophomore goaltender Anthony Beaulieu (Lawrence, Mass.) stood strong in the net. The Pilgrims capped the scoring when Lee connected with senior Graham Hassan (Pinckney, Mich.) for the 'Grims fifth goal of the night. Plymouth State generated late pressure, but blocked shots by juniors Martins Leps (Riga, Latvia) and Christophe Petit (Chelsea, Quebec), along with steady goaltending from Beaulieu, sealed the 5-1 victory.  

Five different Pilgrims scored in Saturday's win, as Lee led the way with two assists. Petit recorded a team-high five blocked shots, while Brennan added four. Beaulieu finished the night with 31 saves, allowing just one goal. 

The Pilgrims return to action on Friday, hosting LEC opponent Norwich University at Lee Clement Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM. 

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