ROCHESTER, N.Y. --
Nick Charron scored a late third-period goal for host Nazareth Friday, but it wasn't enough as the Golden Flyers dropped a 2-1 men's hockey decision to nationally ranked Wilkes at the Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex.
The loss was the third in a row for the Golden Flyers, who slipped to 7-13-2 overall and 6-8-1 in games played within the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Wilkes, ranked ninth nationally in the latest uscho.com poll, improved to 16-4-0 overall and 13-2-0 in conference games. Both team are in action again Saturday. Nazareth travels to King's for a 4 p.m. first face-off and Wilkes hosts Utica in a battle between the league's top two teams.
On Friday, Wilkes had the better of the play for the most part as the Colonels finished with a 29-24 edge in shots on goal and used a pair of goals from Nick Fea to generate a 2-0 lead.
Nazareth's scoring chances were few and far between as the Golden Flyers went scoreless until the 18:57 mark of the third period when Charron scored his seventh goal of the season as he one-timed a shot past Wilkes goaltender Michael Paterson-Jones off a face-off win by
Mitch Culver. That goal came with Nazareth using six skaters as goalie
Matt Sayles spent the final 2:34 on the bench.
Wilkes' first goal came at 5:35 of the opening period, just 15 seconds after the teams were assessed coincidental slashing minors for a four-on-four skating situation. The second goal came at 6:56 of the second period for a 2-0 Wilkes lead.
Nazareth had a great chance to cut the lead in half shortly after Wilkes' goal as
Johnny Jackson stole the puck near the Wilkes blue line. He broke free on Paterson-Jones, who steered aside Jackson's shot to keep the Golden Flyers off the scoreboard.
Nazareth had another opportunity in the third period as Wilkes picked up a pair of minor penalties just 13 seconds apart. Nazareth kept the pressure on but was unable to capitalize on the 5-on-3 extra-man opportunity.
Sayles played well in goal for Nazareth in making 27 saves. Paterson-Jones had 23 saves for the Colonels.