BOX SCORE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Skidmore's Anthony Bird scored the tying goal as time ran out in regulation in a 6-6 overtime tie against New England College Saturday at the Saratoga Springs City Rink.
 
The Thoroughbreds earned three points in the league weekend to move to 4-11-2 overall and 4-5-1 in New England Hockey Conference play.  The Pilgrims are 9-6-3 and 4-4-3. NEC won the first match-up between the teams, 4-1 on Nov. 7.
 
Bird finished with two goals and three assists and Corey Morgan had two goals for Skidmore. Cheyene Matheson and Chris Santello had two goals each for NEC.
 
New England grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of first period goals. Santello caused a blue line turnover and skated in alone and caught the corner for his 11^th goal of the season at 13:50.  The Pilgrims made quick work of their first power play, taking just 27 seconds to make it 2-0. Matheson scored from Scott Cornfield at 16:30.
 
A wild second period saw the teams combine for seven goals, including five in the first 4:41. 
 
Marc Cibelli got Skidmore on the board with a power-play goal at 1:25 from Connor Pelkey and Anthony Bird. Corey Morgan tied it at 2:25 with Dennis Maier and Bird with the helpers. NEC went back in front, 3-2, 30 seconds later when Bryce Nielsen scored his ninth of the season at 3:24.
 
Morgan knotted it at 3-3 less than a minute later with his second of the game. His power-play marker at 4:08 was assisted by Ondrej Krajnak and Bird. Santello took advantage of another center ice turnover to score on breakaway at 4:51 to put the Pilgrims back in front, 4-3.
 
Matheson skated through traffic and scored a power-play goal at 17:05 for a 5-3 lead.  Bird returned the favor when he worked his way through two NEC players and then beat NEC goalie Brett Kilar at 19:23 to cut it to 5-4 at the end of two periods.
 
The offense slowed in the third until Andreas Zollner put NEC back up by two, 6-4 at 10:30. 
 
Skidmore never quit. The Thoroughbreds continued to pressure the Pilgrim defense with Sam Bloom lighting the lamp at 13:04 to make it a one-goal game. Will Golden and Quentin Campbell assisted.
 
With goalie Jack McDonald on the bench, Skidmore kept up the pressure in the final minutes of regulation. As the clock wound down, Bird collected a rebound in front of the net and fired a high rocket into the back of the net as the clock read zero to send the game into overtime.
 
The Thoroughbreds killed off a minor penalty and McDonald had four saves in the extra session to preserve the tie.
 
Skidmore had a 43-39 shot advantage. McDonald finished with 33 saves, while Kilar had 37. Both teams were 2-6 on the power play.
 
The Thoroughbreds travel to UMASS Boston on Jan. 22 for a 7 p.m. game.