BIDDEFORD, Maine - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team opened its 2015-16 season on Friday evening during New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) play at Harry Alfond Forum by falling to the University of New England, 11-0, in each team's league opener. The Nor'easters, who tied 12th-ranked Hobart College in their previous game, are 1-0-1.

Senior Michael Comitini (Hudson, Quebec/Cornwall Colts) made three stops for Saint Michael's before first-year Chris Johnson (Duxbury, Mass./Pomfret School) denied 26 shots in his college debut, appearing for 48:51. Senior Derek McInnis (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) closed out the game with one save in 4:30 of action.

Sophomore Eric Salzillo (Johnston, R.I./Boston Bandits) went 12-for-22 on faceoffs, while junior Justin McKenzie (Hawthorne, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) finished 7-for-13. Senior Mike Schreiner (Saint Albans, Vt./Norwich) and junior Shawn Morrow (East Greenbush, N.Y./Kent School) added seven faceoff wins apiece, and senior Nick Potter (Stoneham, Mass./The Brooks School) broke even at 4-for-8.

Senior Ben Pearl and first-year Armand Uomoleale both scored twice for the hosts, first-years Dylan Bengston and Jimmy Tich and notched a goal and an assist apiece, and classmate Brady Fleurent dished off three helpers. Senior Mason Riley made 15 saves in the opening two periods to snag the win before first-year Joe Noonan had 10 stops in a shutout third period.

After McKenzie won the opening faceoff, the University of New England gained possession back soon thereafter before Uomoleale netted the game-winner 11 seconds into the contest. Tich doubled the lead at 2:06, but Saint Michael's earned a man advantage just 28 seconds later while looking to cut into its deficit. Morrow had a trio of shots on the power play, but Riley denied all six Purple Knight bids in that time. Pearl netted a power-play marker at 6:39 before Fleurent scored at 10:01 and Pearl once more exactly nine minutes later to close the opening-period scoring.

Johnson made 12 of his saves in the second period, yielding only junior Blaise Healy's tally with 8:30 gone, but the Nor'easters received goals from senior Ryan Quinn and sophomore Christian Rossetti 2:49 apart during the opening 5:59 of the third period. The hosts tacked on three tallies in the closing 4:30 of the contest.

The Purple Knights are at the University of Southern Maine for another NEHC contest on Saturday at 1 p.m. before returning home for a five-game homestand over a nine-day stretch.