Boston, Mass. - The Spartans fell short at No. 13 UMass-Boston, losing to the Beacons 5-1 on Saturday, Feb. 1. Five different Beacons found the net, while Ross Herzog scored the Spartans' lone tally.

UMass-Boston outshot the Spartans 35-30 in the contest, dealing Castleton their first loss in three games. Zach Andrews made 29 saves for the Beacons while Thomas Shelley and Mark Hochman split time in net for the Spartans. Shelley made 20 saves and allowed four goals in two periods, while Hochman stopped 10 shots allowing a goal in the third period. 

In the first period, Castleton fell into an early hole. Just 1:50 into the game, UMass-Boston forward Mike Kuhn lit the lamp to put the Beacons ahead 1-0. Minutes later the Beacons struck again, this time from Stephen Buco who tallied on a power play chance. At 7:49, Kit Sitterley scored to put the thirteenth-ranked Beacons ahead 3-0.

Castleton got on the board at the 11:07 mark of the opening frame. On a power play, Brian Greene passed the puck to fellow defenseman Ryan Delorme, who sent the puck toward goal. The rubber found Ross Herzog, who finished the play with his eighth goal of the year, giving the Spartans a power play goal to make the score 3-1.

In the final two periods, the Beacons piled on with another goal. At the 13:11 mark of the second, Giovanni Marinelli added a goal to extend the UMB lead to 4-1. In the third, the Spartans switched to freshman Mark Hochman in goal, but it had little effect as the Beacons tallied just 38 seconds into the third to go up 5-1.

The Spartans fall to 10-10-2 on the season and drop to 6-7-2 in the ECAC East. Castleton will take on Norwich on Friday, Feb. 7 in their third consecutive game against a top-15 team.