SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team fell to Skidmore College, 6-4, in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) game at Saratoga Springs Ice Rink on Saturday. With the loss, the Purple Knights fall to 2-6 overall and 1-5 in NEHC play. The Thoroughbreds, who were receiving votes toward both Division III national polls, improve to 5-2 and 5-1 with the win.

Junior Eric Salzillo (Johnston, R.I./Boston Bandits) scored twice and added an assist for the Purple Knights, while sophomore Nic Hermary (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Melfort Mustangs) had a goal and an assist. Classmate Sam D'Antuono (Hingham, Mass./Dexter School) dished out two helpers, and senior Josh Dickman (Kapaa, Hawaii/Saint Paul's School) scored. Sophomore Chris Johnson (Duxbury, Mass./Pomfret School) made 43 saves, marking his 10th career 40-save performance. D'Antuono was 17-of-35 on faceoffs, and senior Shawn Morrow (East Greenbush, N.Y./Kent Hill School) added a 9-of-19 showing in his first game this season as a forward after moving from defense.

For the Thoroughbreds, sophomore Adam Moodie and first-year Tim Allen each posted a goal and two assists while junior John Litscher led the team with two goals. Sophomore Corey Morgan registered a goal and an assist, and first-year Owen Campbell scored once while classmate Quincy Gregg recorded two assists. Between the pipes, first-year Brandon Kasel made 23 saves.

Johnson made 17 saves in a scoreless first period in which the Purple Knights killed off two penalties and fired nine shots. The Thoroughbreds opened the scoring 1:31 into the second period while on the power play, as Campbell finished with assists from Gregg and Moodie. At 3:53, Litscher tallied his first goal with help from Moodie and first-year Andrew Popp. The Purple Knights responded at the 5:51 mark as D'Antuono assisted on the first of two consecutive goals for Salzillo. The junior scored his second on the power play at 13:56, as he put home the rebound of senior Danny Divis' (Media, Pa./Minnesota Wilderness) shot. Hermary also assisted. In the 8:05 span between Salzillo's goals, Johnson made nine of his 20 second-period saves. During a Skidmore power play with 1:03 remaining, Morgan broke the 2-2 tie with assists from Allen and senior Connor Van Arnam. The teams entered the third with Skidmore leading 3-2.

After each team successfully killed a penalty early in the third period, Allen found the back of the net with assists from Gregg and senior Anthony Bird. Dickman helped the Purple Knights respond with a goal at 13:13, receiving assists from D'Antuono and junior Nathan Foice (Essex, Vt./The Winchendon School). Litscher tallied his second goal of the contest just over a minute later, to make the score 5-3 with 5:03 remaining. With the Purple Knights up a man and Johnson pulled for an extra skater, Hermary tipped home senior Stephen Inman's (Coventry, R.I./Odessa Jackalopes) blast with help from Salzillo at the 17:02 mark, which cut the deficit in half for the Purple Knights. However, Moodie's empty-netter with 39 seconds remaining ensured the victory for Skidmore.

Up next for the Purple Knights is a home contest against non-conference opponent Amherst College on Tuesday at 4 p.m.