WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- Host Wilkes opened up a 3-0 first-period advantage and went on to defeat Nazareth in men's hockey for the second night in a row, 8-2, at the Toyota Sportsplex.

The Colonels also defeated the Golden Flyers 6-3 on Friday in Rochester and now stand at 3-2 overall and in United Collegiate Hockey Conference play. Nazareth, which got a pair of power play goals from sophomore Michael Houlihan, lost for the fourth straight time and returns home Wednesday in search of its first win of the 2021 campaign.

Three of Wilkes' goals came on the power play, including the game's first goal at 1:42 after Nazareth's Mitch Culver was penalized for slashing. Featuring a high octane offensive attack, Wilkes capitalized with a goal from Devon Schell. That was followed by tallies from Donald Flynn and Jimmy O'Kane and the Colonels had a commanding lead.

Nazareth got on the board with just :02 left in the first period when Houlihan delivered his first goal of the season following a Wilkes minor penalty. Ray Falso and Liam Beaudoin were credited with assists.

The score went unchanged for the first 15 minutes of the second period before Wilkes cashed in again on the power play. After a penalty to Nazareth's Henry McKinney, Wilkes' Tyler Barrow scored at 15:03, marking his fourth goal in the two-game mini series.

Houlihan's second power play goal of the game came at 17:45 following a Wilkes tripping infraction. Falso and Culver gained assists.

Wilkes poured it on with four unanswered goals in the third period. Two goals came within a 21-second stretch in which the teams were skating four players per side after coincidental minors to Nazareth's Cole Moore and Wilkes' Jack Lane. 

Wilkes' final goal came during a 5-on-3 power play after Jackson Shanley and Joe Brophy were each accessed minors. That made the score 8-2 and ended the night for freshman goaltender Raphael Provencher, who left with 29 saves and was replaced by sophomore Gage Roberts.

Wilkes had a 38-32 edge in shots. Colonels' goalie Michael Paterson-Jones made 28 saves.

Nazareth returns to action Wednesday for a home game against Elmira at 5 p.m. The Golden Flyers also play Friday and Saturday for a home-and-home series against Chatham. Both games start at 4 p.m. with Friday's game at the Bill Gray's Iceplex.