BOSTON, Mass. – The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team lost, 3-0, to the nationally-ranked University of Massachusetts at Boston in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action at the Beacons Ice Arena on Saturday. The Purple Knights slip to 2-9 overall and 1-7 in league play, while the Beacons, ranked ninth in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll, are 8-1-1 and 6-0.

Saint Michael's sophomore Eric Salzillo (Johnston, R.I./Boston Bandits) was 9-of-17 on faceoffs and first-year Sam D'Antuono (Hingham, Mass./Dexter School) won nine draws. First-year Chris Johnson (Duxbury, Mass./Pomfret School) collected a career-high 57 saves, coming short of Bill Heney's '92 school record of 64 stops on Dec. 8, 1990.

UMass Boston seniors Frankie D'Augustine and Connor McStravick and first-year Garrison Sanipass each scored, with senior Matt Lemire, juniors Tyler Bishop and Zach Lindsay, sophomore Colin Larkin and first-year Bryan Carter all posting assists. First-year Mike Thomson was 10-of-16 on faceoffs, while Larkin and senior Derek Colucci also won 10 draws. Senior Zach Andrews registered a 21-save shutout.

The Beacons netted one goal on 24 first-period shots. Johnson made a trio of saves in the opening three minutes and later denied Colucci and first-year Drew Gannon on back-to-back chances later in the period. UMass Boston hopped on the board at 15:51 when McStravick buried a rebound chance off of Lindsay's initial shot. Purple Knight first-year Jack Ouellette (Arlington, Mass./Dexter School) and junior Anthony Maiuri (Boxford, Mass./New Hampton School) were both stopped by Andrews to end the stanza.

UMass Boston accounted for two goals on 20 shots in the second period. Sanipass scored at 5:12 when he buried the loose puck off Bishop's shot that had caromed off the end boards. The hosts' final goal when Larkin connected with Lemire on a breakout pass, who then backhanded a shot to DeAugustine, who one-timed a shot to the far side.

The teams skated to a scoreless third period, with UMass Boston holding a 16-6 advantage in shots. At 4:50 of the stanza, the Purple Knights were kept at bay after a scramble in front of the net as junior Justin McKenzie (Hawthorne, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) was stopped by Andrews before Salzillo's shot was blocked by a Beacon defender. Later in the period, DeAugustine scooted up ice on a breakaway, but Johnson snuffed out the bid with a right pad save.

Saint Michael's returns home to face No. 5 Norwich University for a Wednesday meeting at 6 p.m. The Cadets, last year's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Championship titlists and qualifiers for the past six NCAA Tournaments, are ranked according to the latest D3hockey.com national poll.