SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Skidmore used goals from five different players in a 5-1 New England Hockey Conference win over Castleton University Friday night at the Saratoga Springs City Rink.
 
The win moves the Thoroughbreds into fourth place in the NEHC with a 9-6-1 overall and 5-3-1 conference record. Skidmore has won five of its last six games. The win gives the Thoroughbreds three of the four season points against the Spartans (3-9-4, 1-6-2). The teams tied 4-4 on Nov. 3.   
 
Skidmore scored the game's first three goals. Avery Steele took advantage of a wild bounce off the cross bar to score his third of the season from Brandon Borges and Reid Russell at 14:35 of the first.
 
Will Steele made it 2-0 at 4:40 of the second with a backdoor goal from Avery Steele and Corey Morgan. Less than a minute later, Paul Vella upped the score to 3-0 from Callahan Johnson and John Litscher at 5:29. Castleton got on the board with a Caleb Fizer power-play goal at 7:16 of the second. Fizer tipped in Anton Tarvainen's shot. Asa Palker had the second assist.
 
The Thoroughbreds took advantage of a Castleton major penalty and bench minor at 3:43 of the third to break the game open. Defenseman Austin Rook scored his fourth of the season on the 5-on-3 from Matt Wolf and Reid Russell. Mike Gelatt tallied his second of the year from Corey Morgan and Rook at 7:17 for the 5-1 final.
 
Shots were even at 32. Skidmore goalie Brandon Kasel improved to 6-4 with 31 saves. Wyatt Pickrell had 27 stops for the Spartans.
 
The Thoroughbreds were 3-7 on the power play, while Castleton was 1-9.
 
Skidmore will host Norwich on Saturday at 4 p.m., while the Spartans travel to Hobart for a 4 p.m. game.