WATERVILLE VALLEY, N.H. - ECAC Northeast Conference-leading Curry College needed an empty-net goal with just under a minute remaining Wednesday evening to hold off upset-minded Plymouth State University, 4-2, in men's ice hockey at Waterville Valley Ice Arena.

         Freshman Jason Yuel (Winnipeg, Man.) led the Colonels with a goal and two assists, and junior Jeff Hazelwood (Dublin, Cal.) added a goal and one assist.  Curry won its fourth straight game to improve to 12-8-1 overall and remain atop the ECAC Northeast at 10-1-1.  PSU dropped to 7-10-2 overall and 4-5-1 in conference play.

         Curry took a 2-0 lead in the first period, Yuel getting an even-strength goal at 11:21 and Hazelwood an unassisted short-handed goal at 16:40.  PSU got one back at 18:31 on a power play goal by sophomore Chris Cantara (Pelham, N.H.), and it was a 2-1 game after one period.

         Sophomore Thomas Harrison (Springfield, Va.) gave the Colonels their two-goal lead back with a goal midway through the second period, but freshman Seth McQuade (Manchester, N.H.) scored on a breakaway for PSU at the 15:35 mark to make it a one-goal game again entering the third period.

         Each team had two power play chances in the final 20 minutes, and PSU had a two-man advantage for a minute, but neither team could score until sophomore Sean Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) dumped one into the empty Panther net at 19:05.

         Curry finished with a 34-23 advantage in shots on goal.  Sophomore Zach Cardella (Spokane, Wash.) earned the win for the Colonels with 21 saves, while senior Karl Helgesson (Lerum, Sweden) made 30 saves in the Panther goal.

         After playing its last four games at home, PSU is on the road for its next three, beginning Saturday at Johnson & Wales University (7:10 p.m.)  Curry is idle until playing next Thursday, Feb. 14, at Worcester State (5:30 p.m.)

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