WILKES-BARRE – A four-goal first period proved to be more than enough as the Wilkes University men's ice hockey team, ranked No. 11 in the latest USCHO Division III National Poll, defeated Nazareth College 7-0 in United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action at the Toyota SportsPlex on Thursday evening.
 
The Colonels improved to 5-0 in league play and 9-0 overall with the win.
 
Tyler Barrow (Massapequa, NY/Saint Anthony's) got the Colonels on the board with a power-play score 4:11 into the game with assists from Donald Flynn (Randolph, NJ/) and Michael Gurska (Revere, MA/).
 
Joseph Johnson (Midland, MI) added to the lead at 7:39 of the first with a helper from Tyson Araujo (Vineyard Haven, MA).
 
Phil Erickson (Eau Claire, WI/) boosted the lead to 3-0 at 10:09 of the first with assists from Devon Schell (Scarsdale, NY/) and Taylor Brierley (East Grand Forks, MN).
 
Johnson finished the first period scoring with his second score at 16:35 assisted by Scott Mueller (Mount Juliet, TN/).
 
Nick Swain (Jackson, NJ) opened the second period scoring at 4:49 assisted by Cole Jungwirth (Bloomington, MN) and Flynn.

Gurska added a power-play tally at 15:30 of the second with helpers from Barrow and Nick Fea (Oak Ridge, NJ/) before Araujo finished the scoring with a man-up goal at 12:37 of the third from Fea and Jungwirth.
 
Wilkes made the Golden Flyers pay when they committed an infraction, turning five power-plays into three goals. The Colonels were successful killing off all four penalties they were called for.
 
Michael Paterson-Jones (Baldwinsville, NY/) was stellar over the first two periods, stopping all 21 shots sent his way. Nico Pidro (Cannonsburg, PA/) completed the shutout, with 10 saves as Nazareth attempted to get on the board in the third.
 
Wilkes returns to the ice tomorrow in a highly anticipated matchup, traveling to No. 3 Utica College for a 7:00 p.m. UCHC contest.