MIDDLETOWN, CT. – Forced to face their third shootout in six games, the Wesleyan men's hockey team was powered by sophomore Connor Sutherland with two goals on Friday night in a NESCAC tie with Colby College, 2-2, that ended in a 3-2 shootout victory for Colby from Wesleyan's Spurrier Snyder-Arena.

All three shootouts the Cardinals (2-8-3 overall, 1-5-1 NESCAC) have forced this season have been played in front of a home crowd at Spurrier-Snyder Arena. The previous losses came at the hands of Plattsburgh State and Salve Regina, both games coming to 2-2 ties before the shootouts manifested after overtime. Looking to follow the 3-2 upset of No. 10 Endicott on Tuesday night, the Cardinals jumped at the opportunity to gain a quick upper hand and that began with Sutherland.

With just under seven minutes to go in the opening period, the Cardinals made good on their offensive edge and flipped the ice to corner the Mules (8-3-2 overall, 3-3-1 NESCAC) in their own zone. Fighting for the puck on the near boards, Owen Sweet '25 was able to clear room for Danny Judge '26 charging in with Sutherland on his heels to the right post. Sutherland's wrist shot on contact flew over the shoulder of Cooper Rautenstrauch.

With much credit due in goal, Ethan Fehrenbaker '28 helped hold the Cardinals' one-goal lead to the end of the period and for most of the second. The Mules tied the game at one at the three-minute mark, Bobby Landry scoring on the power play as the Cardinals were down a man for a hit from behind.

The Mules would take their first lead of the game in the third period, Wyatt Schmidek scoring unassisted though the lead would be short lived. With just four minutes remaining in regulation, Sutherland tallied his second goal of the game to tie the game at two and force an overtime period. Capitalizing on Hayden Hanes' '27 win off the draw, the Cardinals held the Mules without the attempted clear as Sweet was able to clear a path to Sutherland once again out center for the game-tying shot.

Through the overtime period, the Cardinals were held without a shot despite an early offensive push against the Mules. Fehrenbaker faced four shots through the period prior to moving on to his first-career shootout with the Cardinals.

Sutherland scored a third goal on the evening as the first shooter for the Cardinals in the best of three shootout. Patrick Morrissey '25, the second skater for the Cardinals, scored on Rautenstrauch. The Mules won the shootout with a 3-2 final.

Tanner Kontir '27 led the Cardinals offense with nine faceoff wins and five shots on goal.

Fehrenbaker finished the night with 35 saves in goal and one save through the four shootout rounds. Rautenstrauch earned the win for the Mules with 26 saves.

The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, Jan. 18, when they host Bowdoin College in NESCAC action beginning at 3 p.m.