DURHAM - Sean Collins has seen a lot during his days in Durham. He's seen the highs of Frozen Four berths, and the lows of last-round losses. He's seen streaks, and he's seen slumps. Twice he's seen his team stomp through months with an air of invincibility, and another time he's seen his team muck along in mediocrity.

Most of the trouble came a season ago, when Collins and the University of New Hampshire hockey team failed to reach the national semifinals for the first time in his career. But now, as a senior, Collins is determined to make sure those dark days don't return, and to ensure that his Wildcats get off to a good start in their new season.

Collins scored twice in a span of 25 seconds yesterday, snapping a two-all tie at the start of the third period and giving UNH a 4-2 victory over St. Lawrence in an Ice Breaker Tournament championship game witnessed by 5,807. The spurt not only completed a weekend that also included a pair of assists, it earned Collins the title of the tourney's co-most valuable player, an award he shared with teammate Brett Hemingway.

"It's good because we didn't have too many two-win streaks last year," Collins said. "Getting our first two in our building in front of these fans is key for us."

The win signified the first time the 'Cats have won consecutive games since Jan. 23, an 18-game stretch that's equivalent to exactly half of a season in college hockey. It also helped reinstate the Whittemore Center as an intimidating place for an opponent to play, because by sweeping the weekend, UNH may have reversed a trend that saw them win only eight of their final 15 home games last year.

"Those are two big wins for us," said Wildcat Coach Dick Umile, whose team improved to 2-0. "I'm pleased not only with the wins, but the way the team played."

Entering the final frame tied at two, UNH played its best at the start of the third period. For the second straight night - Saturday it was an Ohio State "protocol violation" that led to a UNH goal - the 'Cats capitalized on an opponent's mistake in the opening minutes of a period, this time turning a too many men on the ice infraction into Collins's game-winner. That came when the wing slammed the rebound of a Justin Aikins slapper between the goalie's pads just 55 ticks into the third.

"He's a dangerous guy," St. Lawrence Coach Joe Marsh said of Collins. "They have the ability to burn you, even if you're playing well."

The Saints had been outplaying the host team, turning a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead they carried until the late stages of the second period. But with 1:04 to go in that period, UNH's Josh Ciocco fought his way to the front of the net and redirected Craig Switzer's feed into the cage, tying the game and swinging all the momentum in UNH's favor for the third.

"Those kill you," Marsh said. "That's one of the goals - bear down and not give up anything late in the period."

Umile credited Ciocco with creating the energy that UNH used to take the lead and tack on an insurance score. The cushion came with 18:40 remaining, when Collins crashed the cage all alone after Daniel Winnik tipped Brian Yandle's long pass to the streaking winger. A wrister to the five-hole and it was 4-2 UNH.

"We got three quick goals there and kind of put them under pressure," Collins said. "We played a good third period and came out with a win."

Freshman goalie Kevin Regan made 16 of his 36 saves in the final period, sealing the victory and showing poise that should position him at the very least as UNH's No. 2 goalie. Jeff Pietrasiak was solid in a 5-1 win over Ohio State a day prior, and projects as the starter, but Regan likely cemented himself ahead of Bow's A.J. Bucchino on the depth chart.

"I felt pretty good," said the native of South Boston, Mass. "The defense played pretty unbelievable in front of me, so they made it easy and made me comfortable out there."

Regan could relax a little bit when the Wildcats took an early lead, skating into the first intermission ahead 1-0 thanks to the continuation of a torrid start for three of UNH's top guns and another early opportunity to operate with the extra attacker. The 'Cats power play (2-for-10 yesterday, 6-for-21 on the weekend) clicked immediately, with Hemingway banging Collins's pass by senior goalie Mike McKenna just 65 seconds into the game.

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