FITCHBURG, Mass. (Nov. 7, 2026) — UMass Boston dropped an 8-4 decision to Fitchburg State College at Wallace Civic Center on Saturday, falling to 2-1 on the season in a game defined by a spirited second-period comeback that briefly tied the score at 4-4.
Michael Lynch (Stoneham, Mass.) wasted no time getting the Beacons on the board, netting an even-strength goal just 1:58 into the first period — his first of the season — off assists from Zack Warner-Senee (Leominster, Mass.) and Marcus Bellomo (Salem, N.H.). The early lead was short-lived. Fitchburg State answered with a shorthanded goal from Tye Battipaglia at 4:00, then took a 2-1 lead on a Devin Niles power-play goal at 6:12, assisted by Hunter Dunn and Aleksei Filimonov.
Jack Mortson (Detroit, Mich.) pulled UMass Boston level at 2-2 with an even-strength tally at 8:20, assisted by Billy Norcross (Lynn, Mass.). Mortson led all skaters with eight shots on goal and won 13 of 23 faceoffs on the night. Fitchburg State regained the lead at 12:39 when Dunn converted on the power play, and the period ended on a dramatic note: Nicklas Millhorn converted a penalty shot at the exact expiration of the first-period clock, sending the Beacons to the intermission trailing 4-2.
UMass Boston came out with resolve in the second period. Jack Ford (Severna Park, Md.) cut the deficit to one at 6:10 with an even-strength goal, assisted by A.J. Bongiorno (Chelmsford, Mass.), and Kenny Kalman (Bogota, N.J.) completed the comeback less than two minutes later at 7:59 — assisted by Avan Pyle (New London, N.H.) — to tie the game at 4-4. Kalman finished with a team-best plus-2 rating on the night.
Fitchburg State seized control in the final five minutes of the second period, converting back-to-back power-play goals to go ahead 6-4. Andrey Bondarev broke the tie at 15:39, assisted by Filimonov and Dunn, and Niles added his second power-play goal of the game at 18:43, again assisted by Dunn and Filimonov. Millhorn added another even-strength goal 1:48 into the third period, and Filimonov capped the scoring with a power-play goal at 17:10 to complete the 8-4 final.
In net, Alex Koenig (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) played all 60 minutes and made 32 saves on 40 shots for an .800 save percentage. Fitchburg State's Frederick Soderberg matched that save total, stopping 32 of 36 UMass Boston shots for an .889 mark.
The Beacons return to Edward T. Barry Ice Rink in Boston on Friday, Nov. 13 to host New England College for Military Appreciation Weekend.
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