FITCHBURG, Mass. -- In their 2024-25 season opener, Post University Men's Ice Hockey fought back from an early one-goal deficit to take the lead in the second period before a late third-period goal by Fitchburg State University helped them steal back momentum and the game in overtime, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon. 

THE BASICS

Post University 2, Fitchburg State University 3 (OT)

Post University (0-1-0)

Fitchburg State University (2-0-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons were coming off a season-opening win last night at home against New England College, 3-1, before taking on the Eagles in a late-afternoon matchup on Saturday. Junior forward Jeremy Maillet netted the first goal of the game for Fitchburg State with the help of senior forward Oliver Cookson just 7 1/2 minutes into the first period against senior goalie Drew Blodgett. Blodgett would go on to finish the first with 12 saves while his counterpart in sophomore goalkeeper Frederick Soderberg made 14 stops against the Eagles. 

However, it would be tied at one after the first when Post would get to Soderberg as freshman forward Owen Atkinson and junior forward Jacob Howell helped junior forward Jake Aloi score the first goal of the campaign for the Eagles with less than 40 seconds remaining in the frame. Atkinson would go on to give Post their first lead of the game with 13:57 left in the second period with the help of Howell who finished the game with two points as did Atkinson.

But junior defenseman Trenton Skaggs helped the Falcons get back into the game, tying it up at two all with just over five minutes left in regulation with the help of Maillet and junior forward Nicholas Weber to help force overtime. Once again in the five-minute sudden death period, it would be Maillet helping do the damage as he did on all three Fitchburg State goals alongside sophomore forward Hunter Dunn. Senior defenseman Christian Halbig would beat Blodgett, who finished the game with 39 saves, to send the Falcons to a 2-0-0 start with their 3-2 overtime victory. 

BY THE NUMBERS   

• Owen Atkinson's second-period goal to give Post University the lead at that point in the game was his first collegiate goal
• In net, Drew Blodgett took his first loss of the season despite making 39 saves on 42 attempts from Fitchburg State University 
• Since the start of last year, Post University is 3-11 in one-goal games with six overtime losses after today 
• Since their 4-2 road win on January 27th, 2023 against Saint Anselm College, Post University is 0-20-2 in their last 22 road games 

WHO'S NEXT 
Post University starts off its conference schedule at home on Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM against Saint Michael's College inside the Louis Astorino Arena in Hamden, Connecticut. The Eagles have lost eight straight matchups against the Purple Knights and three of their four games against them last year finished with 3-2 final scores with two of them going to overtime.