SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Albertus Magnus College men's ice hockey team kicked off its inaugural 2019-20 season with a 1-0 lead over Saint Michael's College Friday night, but was unable to hold on in a 2-1 setback in South Burlington, Vt.

THE BASICS
FINAL: Saint Michael's 2 | Albertus Magnus 1
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (0-1-0) | Saint Michael's College (1-0-0)
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
The lone goal of the first period came off the stick of Albertus defenseman Harley Michaels (Kirkland, Quebec) just 3:55 into the game. On a power play, the freshman blueliner beat the opposing goalie on a rebound to net the Falcons' first goal as a program. Cameron Weitzman (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec) and Alexander Lazier (Pointe-Claire, Quebec) earned assists on the play.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, their 1-0 lead would not last the remainder of the game, as the Purple Knights evened the score at 1-1 in the second period. Saint Michael's got on the board first 6:21 into the second stanza with a tally from Andrew DeCristoforo. Both Matt Schreiner and Sam Johnson netted assists on the goal.

The game seemed destined for overtime late in the third period, with both teams trading unsuccessful shots. Overtime was not in the cards, however, as Brandon Mitchell sent the Saint Michael's crowd home happy with a last-second score. With just 15 seconds left on the clock, Mitchell, who was assisted by Jeremy Routh and Sel Narby, found just enough daylight on a break-away attempt to secure the game-winner.

Freshman goalie Pierce Diamond (Edmonton, Alberta) had an outstanding debut for the Falcons, making 33 saves in a hostile road environment. Diamond made a game-high 14 saves in the second period and helped the Falcons go a perfect 9-for-9 on the penalty kill.

BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus - Pierce Diamond (L, 0-1): Shots on Goal 35 | Goals-Against 2 | Saves 33
Saint Michael's - Tim Decker (W, 1-0): Shots on Goal 19 | Goals-Against 1 | Saves 18

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Saint Michael's owned the lead in shots in the game, notching 35 to Albertus' 19.
• The bout also featured a combined 14 penalties for 28 penalty minutes.
• The Falcons went to the box nine times for 18 minutes, while the Purple Knights went five times for 10 minutes.
• Albertus posted a perfect 9-for-9 mark on the penalty kill, while going 1-for-5 on the power play.
• Charles Risk (Medicine Hat, Alberta) led the Falcons with three shots, while Coleton Cianci (Kirkland, Quebec) and Owen Allan (Ancaster, Ontario) each had two.
• In total, 15 Albertus players logged a shot in the game.
• Ethan Hendrickson paced all players with five shots on the evening.

NOTEWORTHY
• Today's bout is the first for Albertus in its inaugural 2019-20 season.
• Michaels' goal goes down as the first in program history.
• All 20 Falcons that played tonight made their collegiate debuts as freshmen.

UP NEXT
The Falcons will look to avenge tonight's setback against the Purple Knights tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vt.