RUTLAND, Vt. - In their first action in more than two weeks, the Spartans were locked in a back-and-forth affair with New England College.
Glenn Wiswell's two-goal performance wasn't enough as the Pilgrims claimed a 5-4 win in overtime.
New England College (2-3) struck first in the final minutes of the opening period thanks to CJ Valerian. It didn't take long for Castleton (0-3) to find the equalizer, however, as Wiswell scored his first of the night just after the 16-minute mark of the first. The tally moved the senior captain into sole possession of 10th of the program's all-time goals list, passing Collin Murray (2010-14) with 31 career goals.
The two teams entered the second period locked at 1-1. New England College's Alex Laplante scored the lone goal of the session to give the Piligrims a 2-1 advantage heading into the final intermission.
The third period was as fast-paced as it gets. The squads combined for five goals, with Castleton ultimately forcing overtime. New England College opened up the scoring in the early portion of the period as Linus Udd Hellgren gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. Shortly after, Wiswell lit the lamp for a second time.
Stone Stelzl was credited with an assist, marking his first career point. Three minutes later,
Conner Ladabouche tied the game with his first goal of the season. The stalemate wouldn't last long as Connor Inger put the visitors back on top.
It was the late-game heroics of
Anton Tarvainen that sent the game to overtime. Off a feed from
Matt Bloomer, the junior tied the game at 4-4 with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.
New England College's Inger scored his second of the night midway through the extra session to sink the Spartans.
Junior netminder
Kyle Alaverdy earned his first start of the season. He recorded 28 saves total and stood tall in the second period, making 13 saves. On the other side, Spencer Kozlowski stopped 25 of the 29 shots sent his way.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again tomorrow afternoon in Henniker, N.H. Puck drop is set for 4 PM.
