WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The #14 Curry College men's ice hockey team knocked off Western New England University by a final score of 5-2 Thursday evening in Commonwealth Coast Conference action at the Olympia Ice Center.

With the win, the Colonels improve to 5-1-0 overall on the season and 3-1-0 in the CCC. 

Curry wasted no time getting on the board on the evening, as freshman Gage Dill (Estero, Fla.) opened the scoring just 53 seconds in to give Curry a 1-0 lead early. Linemates Timmy Kent (Parkland, Fla.) and Eelis Laaksonen (Espoo, Finland) were credited with assists on Dill's fourth goal of the season.

Western New England tied the score late in the first period to send the teams to the locker rooms knotted at 1-1.

Just over a minute into the second, the same trio that combined for Curry's first goal found the scoresheet again, putting Curry on top 2-1. Laaksonen tallied the goal off a feed from Dill after a strong forecheck from Kent to cause the turnover.

After the Golden Bears evened the score 4:16 after Laaksonen's goal, Curry took the lead for good on the second goal of the season from junior Tao Ishizuka (Providence, R.I.) at the 12:06 mark of the second. Ishizuka buried a Nolan Dawson (Calgary, Alberta) rebound on the backhand to put the visitors ahead 3-2.

Late in the second, freshman Kevin Pitts (Pointe-Claire, Quebec) doubled Curry's lead on a redirect of a point shot from classmate Matt Connor (Nottingham, N.H.). Alternate captain George Vonakis (Abingdon, Md.) earned a secondary helper on the tally.

Graduate student Tarek Paranica (Grand Forks, N.D.) notched one more for good measure for the Colonels midway through the third to seal the 5-2 victory for the Colonels. Connor and Vonakis each added their second assists of the night on the marker.

Between the pipes, senior Reid Cooper (Corman Park, Saskatchewan) earned his fifth victory of the season, stopping 28 of the 30 shots he faced. 

Next up for Curry, they will return home to face the Golden Bears to close out the home-and-home series on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop from the Canton Ice House is slated for 3 p.m.

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