SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - In a rematch of the 2014 Northeast-10 Conference Championship title game, the Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team scored three power-play goals en route to a 3-2 win against Southern New Hampshire University during NE-10 action at Cairns Arena on Saturday. The season opener for both teams was the first contest for either since the Penmen claim a 4-1 victory in last year's championship tilt. The Purple Knights claimed a season-opening win for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Senior Eric Robinson (Williston, Vt./Berkshire School), junior Kevin Altidor (Montreal, Quebec/Millbrook School) and sophomore Josh Dickman (Kapaa, Hawaii/Saint Paul's School) all scored for Saint Michael's with senior Jeremy Wong (Montreal, Quebec/Tilton School) and sophomore Stephen Inman (Coventry, R.I./Odessa Jackalopes) both recording two assists. Senior AJ Pieprzak (Barrie, Ontario/Ridley College) chipped in a helper. Senior Dave Donzanti (West Chester, Pa./Northfield Mount Hermon) collected 24 saves in the victory.

Junior Joe Collins (Mansfield, Mass./Saint Michael's) netted one goal with one assist with sophomore Jay Sylvia (Acuchnet, Mass./South Shore Kings) scoring the other goal for Southern New Hampshire. Senior Dane Caracino (Belmont, Mass./New Hampton School) added two assists and first-year Matthew MacInnis (Arlington, Texas/Coppell) made 39 saves in his collegiate debut.

The Purple Knights took the opening face-off with a man advantage following a pre-game penalty by the visitors before Robinson tallied the opening score just 1:23 into play, collecting the blue line and firing a shot through traffic that sneaked inside the right post. With his team skating a man up, Dickman extended the Purple and Gold's lead to two goals after he buried the puck at 15:26. Inman's initial shot from the point was blocked by the Penmen, but the rebound popped out to Dickman, scored from in close.

The second stanza saw the game's most offensive output as both teams combined to score three goals on 28 shots. On their first power play of the period, the Purple Knights peppered MacInnis with three shots - all saved - from inside the two face-off circles. The Penmen responded with their own attack by testing Donzanti with a trio of shots on the goal mouth nine minutes in, with the goalie turning each aside.

After his team gained another man advantage, Altidor provided a three-goal margin at 15:23 to begin a flurry of three power-play goals in 2:22. Off a one-time pass from Pieprzak, who was below the goal line, Altidor shrugged off a Penmen defender in the slot and pumped in the puck through the five-hole on MacInnis. Southern New Hampshire replied just 1:28 later when Sylvia corralled the rebound of Caracino's shot, which bounced off Donzanti's right leg pad, and fired a low shot to the lower left of the net. The Penmen then pulled to within one after Collins scored at 17:45. Off Caracino's cross-ice pass, Collins flicked a shot to the top left corner of the net.

The third period went scoreless despite the Purple Knights owning a 12-8 shot advantage. Southern New Hampshire had its best scoring opportunities come in a cluster when the team recorded three quick shots from inside the slot that were all turned away by Donzanti during a 4-on-4 situation six minutes in. The Penmen emptied their net for an extra skater with 59 seconds remaining but were called for a penalty 11 seconds later, the first of three infractions called on the visitors in the final 48 seconds.

The Purple Knights begin play in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East with a road game next Friday at 7 p.m. against 2014 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist Norwich University, which is ranked seventh in the U.S. College Hockey Online's (USCHO) first national poll.