CHARLESTOWN, Mass. – The Castleton University men's hockey team's bid for the weekend road sweet came up short on Saturday as the Spartans dropped a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) contest to Suffolk, 8-4.

Castleton led early in the second period, but the hosts scored six of the seven next goals to run away with the decision. The Spartans drop to 5-9-2 (3-5-1 NEHC), while the Rams earned their first conference win of the year and improve to 5-9-1 (1-6-1 NEHC). 

Eight out of the 12 goals in the game were scored on special teams. Both teams scored three times on the power play and Suffolk got two more while shorthanded. In a game where the penalty box was often occupied, both teams committed 11 penalties for a combined 52 minutes.   

Alex Kolowrat had the game's only multi-goal performance with a pair of goals for Suffolk. Devin Lowe had a goal and two assists, while Shawn Montgomery, Griffin Clark, and Henry Bishop each assisted on a pair of goals. Nick Wardstrom, Brian Brooks, Nick Lachaine, Phil Kreuser, and Ryan Donnelly accounted for the other goals for the Rams, who produced their highest single-game goal total of the season and the most in nearly a calendar year. 

For Castleton, four different goal scorers provided the offense: Mark Shroyer, Kyle Kazeroid, Nick Gravina, and Jacob Erwin. Conner Ladabouche had two assists, while Glenn Wiswell, Andrew Barber, Calvin Moïse, and Anton Tarvainen each finished with one assist. 

Cal Wilcox earned his third win of the year for Suffolk in a 26-save effort. Brandon Collett was tagged with the loss after surrendering six goals with 25 saves in nearly 45 minutes of work. Kyle Alaverdy yielded two goals in 15 minutes of relief. 

Erwin got his second goal of the weekend to kick off the scoring and give Castleton the lead just 99 seconds into the contest. Suffolk answered with Koloawrat's first goal 1:49 later. Gravina scored on the power play to re-gain the Castleton one-goal lead at 1:49 of the second period, but Suffolk scored two straight tallies to take the lead. Kazeroid then tied it at three at the 14:47 mark of the middle frame. 

The Rams got two goals within 18 seconds in the last minute of the second period to hold a 5-3 lead into the third period. Suffolk put it away with two more in the first nine minutes of the final period before the squads traded goals to complete the scoring. 

Castleton returns to action Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18 on the road at New England College and Southern Maine.