Hallowell, ME – The CMCC men's hockey team got back to their winning ways Thursday night at the Thomas College Ice Vault in Hallowell, scoring a season-high 10 goals as they romped to victory in their conference opener. The reigning NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association champs had nine different players put their name on the score sheet.

The Mustangs took just four minutes to get on the board in the first period. Junior Diego Alonso scored on a backhand shot for his first of the season off an assist from Zach Jones and Kadan Neureuther. It was the first point in a Central Maine jersey for both players, with Jones having transferred in from UNE and Neureuther playing the third game of his freshman season.

The Terriers would tie things up though. Colin Hines scored on a rebound off a Nick Fischetto shot to make it 1-1 with 6:34 left in the period.

Just when it looked like both teams would head back to the locker room even, CMCC struck twice in the final minute to shock their hosts. Aaron Higgins ran in goal-scoring streak to four straight games to start the season when he scored on a breakaway with 38 seconds left. Then with 16 seconds to go, Heath McLean hammered home a one-timer from the point off a pass from Mikita Kalmykov.

With a sudden 3-1 lead to work with, the Mustangs looked much more comfortable in the second period, scoring four times in the frame.

Michael Belleau buried a rebound after Higgins shot was stopped in close. Alex Alonso picked up the secondary assist on that tally 5:37 into the period. Higgins then scored his second of the night to make it 5-1 with a heavy wrist shot in the slot past a screened Matt D'Ortona in net for Thomas.

Things did get feisty midway through the contest. Jonathan Rioux and Cody Ivey both picked up minor penalties with Kalmykov getting a ten-minute misconduct after a coming together by both teams. The Mustangs and Terriers each picked up 36 penalty minutes total in the game.

Jones scored his first goal for the Mustangs with 7:30 left in the frame to go along with his earlier assist. Neureuther and Will Galligan both getting chances on a pile-up in front of the net before the defenseman swept home on the backhand.

It was 7-1 with 3:16 to go when Cody Ivey executed a great two-on-one with Colby Pawson, skating to the back post to tuck home the pass across the slot.

Thomas College switched goalies to start the third period, with Toby Hopson heading between the posts, but it did little to slow down CMCC's momentum.

Evan Knowlton buried a shot from the right circle just 3:04 into the frame, going short-side high over the glove. Cullen Rafford followed that up a minute and a half later with his first goal for the Mustangs. The defenseman from North Yarmouth, ME sending his one-timer from the point off a Terriers defenseman and into the net to make it 9-1.

Emmit Sullivan then wrapped up the scoring at the 7:43 mark of the period, skating in on a breakaway and roofing a shot of the glove for his first of the year.

The game was the first of four in a row against NECHA opposition for CMCC. The Mustangs next take on the University of New England Nor'easters on the road in Biddeford on Sunday, October 20^th. Puck drop is slated for 5:30 pm.