SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The Skidmore College men's hockey team returned to New England Hockey Conference play Friday night, losing 5-3 to Southern Maine.
 
The loss drops the Thoroughbreds into a three-way tie for second in the NEHC with a 5-2 league and 6-7-1 overall record. The Huskies are 6-7 and 3-5 NEHC.
 
Southern Maine opened the scoring when Conor Ferrera one-timed a rebound for his first goal of the season at 4:36 of the first. Cole Klippenstein and Brock Padgham assisted.
 
The Huskies opened a 3-0 lead with a pair second period power-play goals. Brendan Murphy scored on a 5-on-3 at 12:55 and Klippenstein picked-up his fourth of the season at 15:14. Skidmore got on the board 11 seconds later, when Jack Barton converted a pair of quick passes from Adam Moodie and Mickey Foley for his fourth of the season. USM took a 4-1 lead into the second break on Tyler Mathieu's fourth of the season from Brett Norman and Padgham.
 
The Thoroughbreds wouldn't go away quietly in the third period.  The team played nearly eight of the final 10 minutes without a goalie.
 
After allowing an empty net goal by Parker Sanderson at 11:50, Skidmore scored twice with the extra attacker. Conor Pelkey scored a power-play/extra attacker goal at 16:20 from Corey Morgan. Owen Campbell prevailed in a scrum in front of the USM net for his fifth goal of the season at 17:17 to cut it to 5-3. The Thoroughbreds continued to pressure, but couldn't get anymore past Huskie goalie Kyle Shapiro.
 
Skidmore outshot Southern Maine 45-27. Jack McDonald had 14 saves in the first 40 minutes for the Thoroughbreds. Brandon Kasel played 12:46 of the third period with eight saves.
 
Skidmore is home again Saturday at 4 p.m. against Daniel Webster. USM travels to Castleton University.