SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's ice hockey team's comeback bid fell short in a 3-2 loss to in-state rival Castleton University on Tuesday evening in Cairns Arena.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-7-1), Castleton (4-8)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore David Ciancio (Scituate, R.I./Seahawks Hockey Club), 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 blocks, +1
• Senior Matt Schreiner (Falmouth, Mass./Walpole Express), 1 goal, +1, 10-for-21 faceoffs
• Senior Sam Johnson (Freeport, Maine/Walpole Express), 1 assist
• Senior Owen Rudicus (Duxbury, Mass./Tabor Academy), 1 assist
• Sophomore Brennan McFarland (Greeley, Colo./Northern Colorado Eagles), 1 assist
• Junior Marshall Murphy (Little Canada, Minn./Northern Colorado Eagles), 27 saves

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Brandon Picard, 1 goal
• Sophomore Jackson Kobelka, 1 goal, 14-for-21 faceoffs
• First-year Jackson Edwards, 1 goal
• Senior Brandon Collett, 13 saves

GAME FACTS

• Despite getting outshot 21-8 over the final two periods, the Purple Knights held a 2-0 scoring lead.
• Saint Michael's forged a 15-8 advantage in blocked shots.
• Ciancio netted his first goal of the year.
• Three of the Purple and Gold's losses have come by one goal.

THE ACTION

• Kobelka scored 4:21 into the first period, one-timing a shot past Murphy to complete an odd-man rush with junior Grady Birk.
• Edwards extended the lead at 10:40, skating through the left circle before roofing a shot from near the post.
• Picard made it 3-0 with 18 seconds to go, tipping home sophomore Romeo Torain's shot from the blue line.
• Murphy turned in back-to-back saves a little less than two minutes into the second period to swing momentum in the Purple Knights' favor, including diving to deny sophomore Zach Trempner's bid on the doorstep.
• Shortly thereafter, Johnson blocked a failed Spartan clearing attempt at the blue line to continue a sustained possession, and Ciancio ultimately passed from behind the net for Schreiner, who finished at the left post with 3:14 gone. Rudicus notched the secondary helper, jostling for the puck in the left corner.
• Rudicus nearly cut the deficit in half at 14:40 but rung the crossbar.
• During the latter stages of the third period, Ciancio took a pass from McFarland at the blue line and carried up the wall before firing a shot from near the corner off of Collett's mask and in at 13:22.
• Down just one goal, Saint Michael's pulled Murphy with 1:19 left but was able to put only one final shot on net, when sophomore Case Kantgias (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Northern Colorado Eagles) sent a bid from above the left circle into Collett's body at 29.2 seconds.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Dec. 30 at No. 9 Babson College, 3 p.m.
• The Beavers' national ranking is according to the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III poll.