(Box Score) 

         WATERVILLE VALLEY, N.H. - Junior goalie Erik Shields (Lebanon, Maine) stopped all 34 shots he faced Saturday evening as Plymouth State University shut out the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 3-0, in a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) men's ice hockey game at Waterville Valley Arena.

         The Panthers got a pair of goals early in the first period, and rode the two-goal advantage for the next 40-plus minutes before getting an insurance goal midway through the third period.  PSU bounces back after a tough loss to Salem State on Thursday night, improving to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in MASCAC play.  UMD drops to 3-2-1 overall and 0-2-1 in conference games.

         Shields made 15 saves in the second period when the Corsairs outshot the Panthers 15-9, and helped PSU kill off seven UMD power play attempts in the game.  He has allowed only one goal in his last two outings, lowering his goals against average to 1.67.

         Sophomore Bryan Kriner (Newport, R.I.) needed only a minute, 16 seconds to put the Panthers on the board in the first period.  Freshman Seth Phelan (Bristol, Conn.) made it 2-0 with his first career goal at the 6:33 mark.

         It stayed a two-goal game until junior Sean Buckley (Sagamore, Mass.) was sent in alone on a breakaway and potted his first goal of the season for insurance at 9:10 of the third.  Senior Chris Chambers (Crofton, Md.) picked up his second assist of the night on the play.

         Shields did the rest, posting his third career shutout.  Senior Jon Dryjowicz-Burek (Ludlow, Mass.) was solid in the UMD goal, making 26 saves.

         Plymouth State is idle until Wed., Dec. 2, when it visits Southern New Hampshire University for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference encounter.  UMD returns home to host Babson this Tuesday, Nov. 24, in a non-conference game at 7:30 p.m.

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