SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team allowed three unanswered goals in a 3-1 loss to New England College in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East play at Cairns Arena on Saturday. The Purple Knights slip to 6-12-2 overall and 4-9-1 in the league, while the Pilgrims move to 8-10-4 and 5-8-2.

Sophomore Josh Dickman (Kapaa, Hawaii/Saint Paul's School) scored for Saint Michael's with an assist from classmate Shawn Morrow (East Greenbush, N.Y./Kent School). Junior goalie Michael Comitini (Hudson, Quebec/Cornwall Colts) recorded 24 saves in his fourth start of the season.

Sophomore Chris Santello (Bridgeport, Conn./Connecticut Oilers) netted two goals and classmate John Quinlan (Marlton, N.J./New Jersey Rockets) scored the other New England College goal. Sophomore Conor Crouse (West Haven, Conn./CD Selects) had two assists while junior Cheyne Matheson (Wheatley, Ontario/Leamington) and first-year Kyle Arenson (Fort Collins, Colo./Colorado Jr.  Eagles) both chipped in a helper. Sophomore Brett Kilar (Coto de Caza, Calif./Hampton Roads Whalers) turned aside 35 shots for the win.

The Pilgrims challenged Comitini early when Santello wristed a point-blank shot from low in the slot that was swiped away by Comitini's blocker just 1:20 into the first period. Junior Kevin Altidor (Montreal, Quebec/Millbrook School) then gave the Purple Knights a near score when his bid from the right side of the crease was stuffed by Kilar's leg pad at 7:11. After a pair of Comitini saves from right in front of the net with 1:35 left in the period, Saint Michael's grabbed the lead when Dickman scored on a shot through traffic from the half boards with only 39.2 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

The Purple and Gold looked to extend its lead 5:59 into the second period when Altidor picked up a turnover in the hosts' offensive zone and skated uncontested to the net, but his backhanded shot was smothered by Kilar. New England College evened up the score when Quinlan redirected a blue line shot from Arenson at 14:51. The 1-1 tie lasted just eight seconds as Santello ripped a slapshot from just inside the blue line that found its way past a screened Comitini.

After Saint Michael's failed to convert on four shots during a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity in the opening, 5:23 of the third period, New England College tallied its third goal after Santello scored for the second time of the game. Crouse fed a breakout pass to Santello, who then skated through the neutral zone and shrugged off a Purple Knight defender before snapping a shot past Comitini's glove at 11:35. The hosts managed just two more shots before pulling Comitini with 2:22 remaining for the extra attacker. Saint Michael's peppered Kilar with three shots while having the extra skater, but the chances were all stopped as Kilar collected 14 saves altogether in the third period.

The Purple Knights hit the road to play Franklin Pierce University for a 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting in the Purple and Gold's final Northeast-10 Conference game of the regular season.