Junior Tim Sprague (Plymouth, Mass.) netted a pair of goals to lead Suffolk to a 3-1 non-league college ice hockey victory over Assumption in the season opener for both squads Sunday evening at the Salem Ice Center.

Sprague gave the host Rams (1-0) a 1-0 first period advantage when he converted feeds from seniors Charlie McGinnis (Hanover, Mass.) and Jon Stauffer (Landsdale, Pa.) for a power play goal with 6:22 to play in the opening frame, but the visiting Ice Dogs (0-1) evened matters with 3:44 remaining in the middle stanza after senior Nick Mattiello (Johnston, R.I.) netted a power play tally on an assist from sophomore Alex Erban (Attleboro, Mass.).  Sophomore Mike Cherpak (Enfield, Conn.) snapped the deadlock and provided the game-winner for Suffolk 3:34 into the final period on assists from junior Dan Mazzei (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshman Simon Leahy (Milwaukee, Wis.), and Sprague's second marker of the game with 3:07 remaining, which came on feeds from Stauffer and sophomore Carmen Mastrangelo (Wellington, Fla.), iced the hosts' triumph.

Sophomore Brandon Smolarek (Chesterfield, Mo.) picked up the win in goal by stopping 20 of 21 shots on the night for Suffolk, while senior Bobby Bowden (Springfield, Mass.) made 37 saves in the setback for Assumption, as the Rams outshot the Ice Dogs by a 40-21 margin for the contest.

Suffolk heads to Newport, R.I. next Saturday afternoon to take on Salve Regina in an ECAC Northeast outing that faces off at 3:00 p.m., while Assumption travels to Westfield, Mass. on Tuesday evening to face Westfield State in a non-league match-up that begins at 7:35 p.m.