PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Plymouth State University scores three goals in less than four minutes in the third period Saturday night, skating away with a 4-1 victory over Johnson & Wales University in ECAC Northeast Conference men's ice hockey action.

            The Panthers got back on the winning track and kept alive hopes for a conference post-season berth.  PSU is now 8-10-2 overall and 5-5-1 in the Northeast, tied with Salve Regina University for eighth place and the final playoff spot.  JWU had its two-game winning streak stopped and fell to 6-14-0 overall and 5-6-0 in the league.

            Sophomore Craig Houle (Burrillville, R.I.) scored the only goal of the first period for the home team, notching his ninth of the season at 17:17.  It stayed 1-0 until the final two minutes of the second period, when PSU sophomore Stephan Davis (Lafayette, Cal.) tied the score with his first goal of the season.

            PSU won the game with the three-goal outburst in the latter stages of the third period.  Freshman Jake Curtin (Concord, N.H.) started the rally with the eventual game-winner at 11:34, his first collegiate goal.  Sophomore Chris Chambers (Crofton, Md.) followed with his seventh of the season at 12:54, and sophomore Dave Dufresne (Dracut, Mass.) finished off the scoring at 14:57.

            Sophomore Pat Turcotte (Goffstown, N.H.) and freshman Sean Buckley (Sagamore, Mass.) each contributed a pair of assists to the Panther rally.

            PSU senior Karl Helgesson (Lerum, Sweden) earned the win in goal, making 29 saves.  Senior Charlie Bacon (Hudson, Mass.) stopped 24 shots in the Wildcat net.

            Both teams are back in action with conference games on Wednesday, Plymouth State visiting Suffolk University (7:00 p.m.) and JWU hosting Fitchburg State (7:55 p.m.)

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