SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's hockey team scored twice within a minute in the third period, but the tying goal proved elusive as a late empty-net tally gave visiting Vermont State University Castleton a 5-3 win in non-league action on Wednesday night.

• Skidmore (4-5-2) faced a 4-1 deficit in the third period before goals from Coleman Jenkins and Ryan Waltman in a 53-second span closed the deficit to one with nine minutes and change remaining in regulation.
• The Thoroughbreds outshot the Spartans 10-5 the rest of the way, but were unable to find the equalizer.
• Castleton (6-5-1) got a fortuitous bounce off the glass on a clearing attempt that trickled into Skidmore's empty net to make it 5-3 with just over a minute remaining.
• Bryan Tang also scored for the Thoroughbreds. He's now tied with four others for the team lead with three goals.
• Colton Mauser assisted on each of the first two Skidmore goals.
• Ryan Stratton, Shane Baker, Sam Saccone, and Cooper Rice each registered one assist.
• Five different players scored for the Spartans.
• David Coyle made it 1-0 on an unassisted marker of the first period, and Emmett McHardy doubled the lead 2:23 later.
• Luke Chakrabarti put the guests up 3-0 21 seconds into the third, before Tang put the Thoroughbreds on the board at the 9:37 mark of the middle period.
• Tyler Burke scored Castleton's fourth goal 5:27 into the third before Jenkins' goal at the 10-minute mark and Waltman's seconds later forced the Spartans to burn their timeout.
• Charles Watson made 40 saves for Castleton as Skidmore ended with a 43-40 advantage in shots.
• Joshua Seeley turned aside 20 shots, while Tommy Aitken made 15 saves in split duty.
• Both teams were 0-for-2 on the power play.

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After the holiday break, Skidmore will return to action Jan.  2-3 with its final non-conference games of the season at Curry and Plymouth State.