Beacons Rally Past Corsairs in Season Opener

CANTON, Mass. – Sophomore Michael Mania netted a pair of goals for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, but UMass Boston scored three unanswered markers to escape with a 4-3 victory Friday evening in the opening round of the Curry College Tournament at the Canton Ice House. Tonight's NCAA Division III ice hockey contest marked the season-opener for both clubs.
 
UMass Dartmouth opened the scoring in the first period, when junior Michael Perrone converted a centering pass from classmate Clay Ellerbrock behind the Beacon net to break through at the 5:19 mark. Junior Austin Miller was also credited with a helper.
 
UMass Boston graduate student Bailey Conger leveled the contest at 1-all four minutes later, but the Corsairs headed into the intermission with a 2-1 advantage.

Mania forced a Beacon turnover in the defensive zone and rushed up ice. He worked a give-and-go with sophomore Zach Tarantino along the right flank to allow Mania to walk in alone. Mania demonstrated some crafty moves to deke the netminder and tuck in his first collegiate goal inside the far post.
 
The Corsairs continued to apply the offensive rush in the second stanza. The visitors extended their lead to 3-1, when fifth-year senior Kai Kapossy fired a shot from the left dot. Mania pounced on the rebound and deposited his team-leading second marker of the campaign into the open net.
 
UMass Boston utilized its special teams to switch the momentum. Conger registered a power-play tally at 12:59 to whittle the Beacons deficit to 3-2. UMass Boston forged a 3-all tie in the final minute of the period, when senior Ethan Nitkin split two Corsair defenders and ticketed his first goal of the season under the crossbar.
 
The Beacons completed their comeback victory at the 5:01 mark of the third period. Conger won a face off in the offensive zone and wristed a shot on net.  UMass Dartmouth thought the play was going to be stopped, but the rebound trickled into the crease. Senior Jeffrey Skinner slid into the goal mouth and tapped the eventual game-winner into the back of the net.   
 
Junior Sam Best made 19 saves to earn his first victory of the season for the Beacons, while graduate student Parker Butler registered 31 saves for the visitors.  
 
UMass Boston held a 35-22 advantage in shots.
 
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, when the Corsairs face Stonehill College (0-1) in the consolation round of the Curry College Tournament.