Brunton and Kile score, Seahawks fall 3-2 to Bison

HARRISVILLE, R.I. (Friday, January 26, 2024)--  The Nichols College Bison topped the Salve Regina Seahawks men's ice hockey team 3-2 in overtime at the June Rockwell Levy Rink. Matthew Brunton and Joseph Kile were the two Seahawk scorers for the evening. All of Salve Regina's goals came in the second period. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Salve Regina 2, Nichols 3
Records: Salve Regina (12-5-2, 7-3-2 CCC), Nichols (5-11-3, 3-6-3 CCC)
All-Time Series: Since the 2007-08 season the Seahawks are 17-19-3 against the Bison. Last year on Saturday, February 18, 2023, Salve Regina won 8-3.

BREAKDOWN: 

• Period I: The Bison won the opening faceoff, moving swiftly with comfort on their home ice. Nichols entered the contest in the fifth place CCC spot, while the Seahawks stood in first place. The action appeared to be evenly matched early in the game. For 18 minutes both sides exchanged possession without any resulting scoring. However, with 1:14 remaining, Nichols' Tristan Kimmen scored his first colligate goal, making it a 1-0 game with the Bison ahead. In period one Nichols slightly outshot Salve Regina 11-8. Both teams served four minutes on two penalties. 
• Period II: Both the Seahawks and the Bison nearly scored, with several loose puck opportunities right in front of the crease to start the second period. Following a quick wrist shot attempt made by the Bison at 6:10 into play, the Seahawks regained possession and brought the puck back to their attack zone. Joel Shoemaker weaved past Nichols' defenders, passing to Matthew Brunton who skillfully fired off a shot and achieved his fifth goal of the season. For the following ten minutes the score would not change, but at 16:30 Seth Benson slapped the puck over to Joseph Kile at center ice, who netted his fourth goal of the season on a one-timer and the Seahawks were ahead 2-1, for the first time in the evening.
• Period III: Four minutes into play, Salve Regina sent a skater to the penalty box for cross-checking and one minute later, on a Bison power play, Kaiden Scott flicked the puck between the posts from the left side. Scott's goal tied the game 2-2. At one minute remaining two skaters were sent to the box for matching minors with no resulting power plays. The contest moved to overtime after the clock expired on regulation.
• OT: Both the Bison and the Seahawks entered the five-minute period having fallen in overtime to their last opponents. In an attempt to get the puck away from the sticks of Nichols' skaters Logan Calder and Josh Kroon brought the puck down the ice, but the Bison regained control right in front of the benches. Kroon slapped the puck away, wrapping it around the boards but Nathan Carl of the Bison intercepted it. The Bison took a few passes and just as a Nichols' power play was expiring, Jack Lee took a slap shot that was rebounded by Carl who sent it high into the net for a 3-2 overtime Seahawk loss.  

NOTEWORTHY:

• Nichols outshot Salve Regina 46-36.
• Salve Regina went 0-2 and Nichols went 2-4 on the power play. 
• The Seahawks blocked 10 shots to the Bisons' 19. 
• Selby Warren and Nichols' Tyler Bost protected their respective nets for the full 63:24 of action. 

ON THE HORIZON: 

The team will celebrate 40 years of men's ice hockey tomorrow evening for day two against Nichols. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at the Cabot-Harman Ice Center, with a ceremony held before the contest starts.