BIDDEFORD, Maine - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team erased a 3-0 deficit before yielding the winning goal with 3.6 seconds left to suffer its second one-goal loss in less than 24 hours, 4-3, at the University of New England on Saturday in Alfond Forum. The Purple Knights, who have taken four one-goal setbacks this month, are 6-10-2 overall and 6-7-2 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East, while the Nor'easters improved to 7-11-1 and 5-7-1.

Sophomore Anthony Maiuri (Boxford, Mass./New Hampton School) posted one goal and one assist for Saint Michael's, while junior Kevin Altidor (Montreal, Quebec/Millbrook School) and sophomore Josh Dickman (Kapaa, Hawaii/Saint Paul's School) also scored. Maiuri's goal was his first as a collegian. Senior AJ Pieprzak (Barrie, Ontario/Ridley College) assisted Altidor's tying tally and now has at least one point in 13 of the last 14 games. Classmate Dave Donzanti (West Chester, Pa./Northfield Mount Hermon) had five saves to pass Mark Crowley '91 for eighth in program history in saves (1,204) before junior Michael Comitini (Hudson, Quebec/Cornwall Colts) made 13 stops. All three of his decisions this season have come in one-goal losses.

Junior Ben Pearl (Essex, Vt./Southern Maine) posted a hat trick for Southern Maine, including netting the late winner, and senior Zeth Zielinski (Woonsocket, R.I./New England Huskies) scored once. Junior Tom Gildersleeve (New Harbor, Maine/Portland Jr. Pirates) and sophomore Trevor Fleurent (Biddeford, Maine/Portland Jr. Pirates) both had two assists, and senior Colby Drost (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Niagara) made 33 saves.

After being outshot 10-4 in the opening period, Saint Michael's held a 32-12 advantage over the final 40 minutes while erasing a 3-0 deficit. Late in the second stanza, Maiuri got the Purple Knights on the board at 13:48 with a tip-in at the top of the crease following sophomore defender Stephen Inman's (Coventry, R.I./Odessa Jackalopes) slap shot. Dickman cut the deficit further at 17:08, putting home the rebound of a Maiuri shot in a crowd. Senior Jeremy Wong (Montreal, Quebec/Tilton School) also assisted.

A little more than midway through the third period, Altidor found the equalizer, redirecting senior blue liner John Teulings' (Hamden, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) shot from the high slot. However, during a late power play, Pearl took a pass at the left doorstep from senior Jared Melman (San Jose, Calif./Portland Jr. Pirates) and put the winner home with 3.6 seconds remaining.

Donzanti made one stop - the 1,200th of his career - during a Nor'easter power play early in the first period before three Purple Knight shots were denied in a 1:54 man advantage of their own. At 6:41 of the opening frame, Pearl put the University of New England on top with a one-timer from the slot before adding a second tally 2:44 later after a scramble in front. Fleurent and Gildersleeve assisted both. Donzanti denied Pearl's bid at a natural hat trick amid a host power play with nearly five minutes remaining, but Zielinski made it 3-0 at 15:19 during the same power play, hitting the net from the right circle.

Saint Michael's plays four of its next five games at home, beginning on Friday with a 7 p.m. contest against Saint Anselm College.