BUFFALO, N.Y. – The second-ranked men's hockey team held off a hungry Buffalo State squad on Saturday afternoon for a 4-3 win over the Bengals to sweep the weekend series and improve to 12-0-1 this season. The Bulldogs built a 4-1 lead early in the third period and saw the Bengals score twice to pull within a goal with 11:11 left in the contest. The Bulldog defense and goaltender James Hamby closed the door for the rest of the period to claim the road victory.

Adrian got on the board first at 1:40 of the opening period as Duston Hebebrand scored his eighth goal of the season with assists from Kevin Balas and Ryan Gieseler. Buffalo State tied the game heading into the first intermission at 13:02 as Brett Hope scored his first of the season on the power play.

Adrian scored both goals of the second period to lead 3-1 after 40 minutes. Rob Heath scored his first of the season at 9:51 on a 5-on-5 with assists from Brent Sauve and Pat George. Josh Ranalli scored his 15th goal of the season less than a minute later with assists by Chris Leone and Justin Basso.

Ranalli extended his nation-leading goal total to 16 tallies at 0:45 of the third period on the power play with assists by Basso and Ryan Lowe. Adrian finished with 1-for-3 on the power play while Buffalo State went 1-for-4. The Bengals did not fold cutting the lead to 4-2 at 3:13 as Mike Zannella scored his fourth of the season on a 4-on-4 situation. Buffalo State got within a goal at 8:49 on a delayed-penalty goal as Jake Rosen scored his second of the season.

Hamby improved to 8-0-1 in net this season stopping 22 shots including 10 in the first period. Kevin Carr stopped 33 shots and the Bengals had 51 seconds of empty net time. The Bulldogs will continue its road stretch next weekend against St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus.