The Chelsea hockey team returned from the holiday break with a strong start, taking two of three games to even its record at 5-5-2 overall on the season.

The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 in the SEC with a big 6-2 win over Ann Arbor Skyline Saturday night.

Keegan Montgomery put the Bulldogs on top when he rifled in a shot from the blue line, but Skyline would answer less than a minute later to tie the game at 1-1 after one period.

The first penalty of the game was a big one when Skyline was assessed a five-minute major, but the Bulldogs were called for tripping two minutes in and the teams were 4 on 4.

After the 4 on 4 was over the Bulldogs still had a minute remaining in the major and capitalized when Brandon Davila sent a nice crossing pass across ice and Montgomery lifted it home for his second of the game and a 2-1 Chelsea lead.

Just after the major was over, Davila would find the net to push the Chelsea lead to 3-1, but again the Eagles answered with a goal less than a minute later to cut the lead to 3-2 after two periods.

Chelsea was called for three straight penalties at the end of the second and start of the third period and were able to kill off nearly five minutes of shorthanded time and with nine minutes left Davila found the net for his second of the game for a 4-2 Chelsea lead.

The Bulldogs’

lead grew to 5-2 when Montgomery found the net for the third time for his hat trick and with just over a minute remaining Davila got his third of the night for the hat trick and the 6-2 final.

Chelsea opened the week by taking down Lakeland 6-1.

Jacob Corcoran recorded two goals and an assist for the Bulldogs.

Montgomery had another big night with two goals and three assists, while Shane McLaughlin had a goal and assist for Chelsea. Jacob Brant also scored a goal, while Kyle Valik had two assists and Nic Smith one assist. Luke Webster stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced in net.

The Bulldogs dropped a tough 4-3 decision to Jackson Lumen Christi Friday night.

Corcoran put the Bulldogs on top in the first period, but the Titans tied it up with 1:30 left in the first.

Lumen then scored a pair of goals in the second for a 3-1 lead, but Corcoran cut the lead to 3-2 early in the third and Lew Turner found the net with just under 12 minutes left to tie the game at 3-3.

The Titans retook the lead 4-3 with 6:30 left and that would be the final.

Chelsea will travel to Toledo Wednesday to take on Bedford and host Saline in another key SEC matchup Saturday night at 7:30 PM.

Photos by Mike Williamson