STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Clear – goal
• Watson – goal
• Junior Brendan Lynch (Nepean, Ont.) – goal
• Freshman Ryan Kayser (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) – assist
• Junior Tyler Murray (Barre, Vt.) – assist

KEY MOMENTS

• Southern New Hampshire struck first just over 11 minutes into the game, taking advantage of a 2-on-1 rush, as Kayser set up Clear for a shot from the right circle that made it 1-0.
• SNHU doubled its lead 2:23 later on Watson's unassisted goal – a wrister from outside the right circle that beat the Worcester State goaltender.
• The Lancers answered with two straight in the first 6:23 of the second period, tying the game, 2-2.
• The Penmen went up, 3-2, at 8:44 of the stanza, with Murray dropping the puck for Lynch, who scored from the left circle.
• Worcester State scored directly off the face-off at 13:10 of the second to gain the equalizer and then completed the four-goal middle period with just 36 seconds on the clock to take a 4-3 lead.
• WSU tallied an insurance marker with 8:02 remaining.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior Cam Bernard (Bedford, N.H.) made a career-high 26 saves in his first start of the season for SNHU.
• Worcester State goaltender Donovan Alfama stopped 30 of 33 shots.
• SNHU put more shots on net (33-31) than Worcester State.
• Neither team was afforded a power-play opportunity, as only matching roughing penalties were called 6:45 into the final period.
• The Penmen held a 43-33 advantage on face-offs, while the Lancers returned the favor in blocked shots, 19-8.

NOTES

• SNHU dips to 11-5-1 all-time against Worcester State, as the Lancers win for the second time in three meetings, but also just the second time in the last 13 contests (2-10-1).
• Watson's team-leading sixth goal of the year is also the 19th of his career.
• Lynch's goal is his fourth of the season and 16th of his career.
• Clear finds the back of the net for the third time this season and fifth time in his career.
• The Penmen had won four of five at home this season.
• Clear, Bernard, Ethan Rodriguez (Sioux City, Iowa), Jack Gray (Lowell, Mass.), Jackson Aldrich (Waterville, Maine), Derek Flynn (Dracut, Mass.), Ryan Houle (Drummondville, Quebec), Connor Ball (Webster, N.Y.) and team manager Jake Kriplan were honored in a Senior Day ceremony prior to the game.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen now have nearly a month off for winter break and will return to action Friday, Jan. 10 (7 p.m.) at Saint Anselm College.
• SNHU is back home Wednesday, Jan. 15 (3 p.m.) when it plays host to the State University of New York at Cortland at the Ice Den.
• All Northeast-10 Conference games, and SNHU home games, are streamed live and available on demand on FloCollege.