NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The fans who filled J. Thom Lawler Arena for yesterday's game between Merrimack College and the University of New Hampshire were encouraged to bring their own blades, and welcomed onto the ice afterward for a chance to skate with Santa. Many of the 2,990 took them up on the offer, too, and got to see ol' Saint Nick some 27 days before his official arrival.

But this year nobody's had Christmas come earlier than Bobby Butler, Paul Thompson and Phil DeSimone.

Totaling nine points between them yesterday, and accounting for each of the five Wildcat goals, UNH's top line continued what has been an absolutely torrid month for the trio, almost single-handedly delivering a 5-4 victory that dealt the Warriors their first loss on home ice while hoisting the 'Cats to sole possession of first place in Hockey East.

"We've got a lot of jump in our step," said Butler, the co-captain whose team is 5-2-2 in the league. "I don't think I had more than three chances, four chances. Same with Paul. But you put the puck on the net and good things happen."

Good things have been happening a lot lately for Butler and his linemates, as with yesterday's output they've now been responsible for New Hampshire's last nine goals, and they've struck for 12 of the team's 16 scores during the season-best four-game unbeaten streak that leaves the team at 5-6-3 overall - which is exactly where it stood as the calendar turned to December a year ago.

Butler, Thompson and DeSimone might be sad to see November end, however. United at the start of the month, they managed to accumulate 31 points (and 16 goals) in seven games, with 21 of those having come over their last three skates.

With two goals and an assist yesterday, Thompson finished the month with six tallies and four helpers for 10 points. And with a goal and two assists yesterday, DeSimone has two scores and six dimes since Nov. 6. But neither has benefited as much as Butler, who with two goals and an assist yesterday managed to put his name on the scoresheet in all seven contests, racking up eight goals and five assists for a grand total of 13 points.

"Bob is on fire this year, and Paul is starting to catch the goal-scoring fever from him," DeSimone said. "It's pretty easy - just get it on their stick anywhere and it's going in."

"We're all pretty creative guys offensively, and we're pretty confident right now," Thompson added. "Every time we go out there we want to make something happen, and we think we can make something happen."

The quality of the goals was nearly as significant as the quantity yesterday, considering Merrimack (6-6-0, 3-4-0) took three different leads over the first two periods - but the DeSimone-centered line erased them all to send the game to the third with the teams tied at 3.

Though J.C. Robitaille scored in the first period, Butler answered it with a power-play strike in the second. Though Justin Bonitatibus made it 2-1 just 31 seconds later, Butler answered with a shorthanded score to even things yet again. And though Joe Cucci pushed the lead to 3-2 on that same Merrimack power play, Thompson answered that one by the end of the frame.

And then the Wildcats seized things for themselves early in the third. Just 47 seconds after intermission, Blake Kessel slid the puck to DeSimone along the goal-line extended, and he quickly found Thompson with space in the left-wing circle. The junior from Derry collected the puck, then patiently waited to pick his spot before pinging the inside of the near post and putting it past Joe Cannata (27 saves) for his second of the afternoon.

"Huge," according to UNH Coach Dick Umile.

DeSimone got in the act for himself about six minutes later, first drawing a tripping penalty that allowed UNH to get a sixth attacker on the ice during the delayed call, then taking a Butler feed and tucking it through Cannata's five-hole.

That opened the lead to 5-3, which proved critical when Jeff Velleca buried a breakaway with about 11 minutes left, but 'Cats goalie Brian Foster came up with an enormous save on a Robitaille redirection with two minutes to go, and UNH held on for an impressive victory.

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