BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Curry College scored four unanswered goals to break open a tie game and take an 8-4 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's ice hockey win over the University of New England on Saturday evening (Dec. 3) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

The Colonels improved to 5-3-1 on the season, while upping their conference record to 5-2-1. UNE dropped back to the .500 mark at 4-4-1 and is 4-3-1 in CCC action.

Sean Nelson (SR/Brighton, Mich.) and Tyler Vankleef (SR/Dundas, Ontario) each scored a pair of goals for Curry, which was a stellar 4-for-7 on the power play. Adam Valadao (JR/Ajax, Ontario) chipped in a goal and three assists to lead all players with four points. Jarret Kup (JR/Rosseau, Ontario), Anthony Trujillo (FY/Toronto, Ontario) and James Murphy (SR/Malden, Mass.) had a goal apiece for the Colonels, who got three assists from Shane Tracy (JR/Bow, N.H.).

Dylan Bengtson (SO/Coral Springs, Fla.), Andrew Slotnick (SO/Canterbury, Conn.), Trevor Fleurent (SR/Biddeford, Maine) and Samuel Michaud (FY/Portland, Maine) each scored once for the Nor'easters.

Curry surged at the outset, forging a 3-0 lead just 7:49 into the contest as Nelson tallied consecutive markers and Murphy added another. Curry would take that 3-0 margin into the first intermission.

The Nor'easters roared back in the second period to tighten things up. Bengtson notched UNE's first goal of the evening 16 seconds into the frame, and then Slotnick scored his first career goal four minutes later. After Trujillo pushed Curry's lead to two (4-2), Fleurent and Michaud helped UNE even the contest (4-4) at the 16:20 mark. Valadao would score the game-winner with 2:20 remaining in the frame to give the Colonels the lead for good.

Vankleef sandwiched a pair of power-play goals around a tally by Kup in the third period to give the Colonels a four-goal victory.

Spencer Cookson (SO/Sheffield, Mass.) was the winning goaltender. He made four saves in 10:15 of playing time. Starter Brett Sinclair (SR/St. Catherines, Ontario) totaled 21 stops in 49:45 of ice time.

Starter Joe Noonan had three saves for the Nor'easters before giving way to Connor Maloney, who racked up 20 saves the rest of the way.

Both teams will play non-conference games Thursday. Curry hosts Babson College at 6:45 p.m. and UNE travels to Plymouth State University for a 6 p.m. tilt. (Game Recap Courtesy of the University of New England Sports Information)