RUTLAND, Vt. – The Saint Anselm College men's ice hockey team netted five unanswered goals on its way to a 5-2 win over Buffalo State College on Friday, Nov. 25.

With the win, the Hawks improve to 6-2-1 on the season and will advance to the Terry Moran Invitational Tournament Championship game on Saturday, Nov. 26 with the opening puck drop slated for 4 p.m. Saint Anselm will await the winner of the Franklin Pierce and Castleton game which closes out Friday's pair of games. The Bengals fall to 4-4-0 on their season with the loss. 

Senior Andrew Andary (Macomb, Mich.) netted two goals in the tilt with sophomores Hunter Brackett (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Chase Reynolds (Middletown, Conn.) and freshman John Myers (White Plains, N.Y.) netting one goal apiece.

The Bengals registered the opening goal at 16:39 of the first period when Tyler Vanuden redirected a shot from the point from Drayton Todoroff. Senior Nick Howard (Burlington, Mass.) made the save on the initial shot attempt but Vanuden managed to collect the rebound and find the back of the net for the game's opening goal.

Vanuden extended the Buffalo State lead to two with a power play goal at 1:13 of the second period. He redirected a pass from the top of the right circle to push the lead to 2-0.

Brackett got the Hawks on the board 4:15 after the second Buffalo State tally. Brackett forced a turnover in the attacking end which allowed Reynolds to collect the loose puck and send a pass back to Brackett who roofed a wrist shot for his second goal of the season.

The Hawks tied the tilt at 9:40 of the middle frame on the fourth goal of the season from Andary. Freshman Garrett Alberti (Wilmington, Mass.) sent a pass out to the slot for the senior who one-timed home his scoring chance to push the score to 2-2.

Saint Anselm would take the lead on a goal from Reynolds. Reynolds put a shot on goal from the corner that managed to find the back of the net at 15:56 of the third period, giving the Hawks a 3-2 lead.

Myers extended the Hawks lead to two at 19:04 of the final period with an empty net goal, marking the first of his collegiate career.

The Hawks tacked on a third of the period just 15 seconds later on Andary's second tally of the contest to push the score to 5-2.

The Hawks put 41 shots on goal compared to 32 for the Bengals. Buffalo State netted one goal on five power play chances while Saint Anselm was scoreless in its three power plays.

Howard stopped 30 of 32 shots on goal in the contest while Emil Norrman made 36 saves in the goal for the Bengals.