RUTLAND, Vt. — The Vermont State University Castleton men's hockey team dropped the first half of its home-and-home weekend with Skidmore, falling 4-1 to the 13th-ranked Thoroughbreds on Friday night.

Zach Papapetros had the Spartans' (7-11-0, 4-7-0 NEHC) lone tally off an assist from Jackson Edwards. Justin Stairs had a game-high four blocks as a quartet of skaters stopped two apiece. Dominic Rodrigue denied 46 shots to mark a new season high for the junior netminder.

Skidmore (13-3-2, 8-2-1 NEHC) was first on the scoreboard thanks to Danny Magnuson's fourth-minute goal. The Spartans got even moments later when Edwards redirected a puck out of the defensive end to Papapetros who took it the distance and rattled home his fourth score of the year.

The Thoroughbreds converted on their first power play late in the opening period to make it 2-1 at the break. A second-stanza strike by Jaden York and a goal from Rutland native Cooper Rice in the third kept the visitors in front and sealed the contest at 4-1.

VTSU Castleton goes on its first road trip of the season tomorrow (January 20) to battle the Thoroughbreds once again. Puck drop in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. is scheduled for 7 p.m.