Box Score ATERVILLE, Maine -- After falling 9-1 to Colby College in the season opener, Middlebury College bounced back for a 3-2 win over the Mules in NESCAC men's hockey on Friday night at Alfond Rink.
Colby drops to 7-8 overall and 6-5 in the league heading into a home game with Williams College on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Panthers, who play at Bowdoin College on Saturday at 4 p.m., move to 4-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
Game highlights
* The Mules had a 41-22 shot advantage in the game, but Middlebury scored with just 1:52 left in regulation to earn the win. Mitchell Allen kept the puck in the Colby zone and found some open skating room. He had a pass across the ice to Frank Cosolito, whose one-timer may have been deflected in by a Colby defensemen.
* The Panthers took a 2-1 lead into the third period after the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes. Colby's Spencer Hewson scored his first collegiate goal on the power play at 8:01 of the third period to tie the score. Phil Klitirinos pushed a short pass to Nick O'Connor, who came around the Middlebury net and found Hewson open at the right point for the shot.
* The Mules had their lone lead of the night at 1-0 when Justin Grillo tallied at 7:36 of the opening period. After a face-off win from Michael Rudolf, Grillo passed the puck to Rudolf near the left corner. Grillo cut toward the goal and received a pass back for the score.
* After a Colby turnover in the Middlebury zone, the Panthers scored their first goal in transition. Kamil Tkaczuk pushed a pass to Michael Fahie, who used his speed to get around a defensemen on the right side and hit a shot inside the near post.
* Tkaczuk scored the lone goal of the second period when he knocked in a rebound after a three-on-two rush by the Panthers. Fahie and Vincent Gisonti had assists on the play.
By the numbers
* Middlebury goalie Stephen Klein made 39 saves, including a stop of a penalty shot with 9:38 left in the game. Sean Lawrence had 19 saves for the Mules.
* Besides the large shot advantage, Colby also had a 42-23 advantage in face-offs. Hewson won 10 of his 12 draws and O'Connor went 10-for-15.
