BOSTON, Mass.—Behind a hat trick from forward Anthony Bird, Skidmore College handed #2 UMass Boston its first loss of the season Saturday.

The Thoroughbreds are 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the NEHC. The Beacons are 3-1 and 1-1.  

Bird scored two short-handed goals as part of a three-goal third period for the Thoroughbreds, who entered the third stanza trailing 2-1.

The senior All-Conference forward tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period and then scored at 15:31 and 19:39 of the third to snap UMass Boston's three-game winning streak to open the season. Owen Campbell potted the other goal for Skidmore, who snapped a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) against the Beacons.

Skidmore freshman Brandon Kasel moved to 2-0 on the season by stopping 43 of 45 shots, including 15 stops apiece in the first and third periods.

Senior Albee Daley and junior Colin Larkin scored in the second period for the Beacons. In net, Jordan Bustard suffered his first collegiate defeat, by allowing three goals on 32 total shots.

After a scoreless first stanza, the two teams struck for three goals each in the second and third periods.

Daley gave the Beacons a brief 1-0 advantage in the second, when he scored on the power-play just 44 seconds into the period. Bird answered back 11 seconds later, when the top-line forward scored an unassisted tally.

The Beacons took the lead into the break thanks to a goal scored with just 0.6 seconds left in the second period. Larkin blasted a shot in from the slot just before the horn sounded, to make it 2-1.

Campbell scored a stunning equalizer for the visitors, when his blast from distance fooled Bustard to tie the game at 2-2 just under eight minutes into the third.

UMass Boston looked like it was going to have a chance to wrestle the lead back at 14:51, when Skidmore's Chris Javens was whistled for interference. The power play backfired on the Beacons though, as they got caught pinching in and Bird went down the other way and snuck the puck past Bustard for a 3-2 Skidmore lead at 15:31.

The Beacons had one final power-play with just under two minutes to go, but even after pulling the goalie, they couldn't beat Kasel despite several good looks. Bird put the game to rest with 21 seconds to play when he scored on an empty-net to complete the hat trick.

Skidmore is back home Friday night in an NEHC battle for first place against Norwich at 7 p.m.