Maine Hockey Journal

USM downs NEC on Senior Day

Sophomore goalie Kyle Shapiro stopped 30 shots, including 15 in the final period, as the University of Southern Maine defeated visiting New England College 4-1 in New England Hockey Conference men’s action Saturday on Senior Day at the USM Ice Arena.

The win was the second straight for the Huskies who broke a long winless streak Friday night with a 2-1 win over Saint Anselm College. The Huskies are now 7-15-1 overall and 4-12-0 in league play. The Pilgrims, who came into the game unbeaten in their last three games (2-0-1), fell to 11-8-4 overall and 6-6-4 in the conference.

Senior PM Lapointe gave the home side a 1-0 with a power-play goal at 6:39 of the opening period. Lapointe one-timed a pass from classmate Zach Dymock just under the crossbar from the blue line. Sophomore Brett Norman picked up the second assist.

Senior Bob Ganley doubled the home side’s advantage three minutes later when his shot from low in the right-wing circle deflected off an NEC defender in front of junior goalie Brett Kilar and into the net.

After a hard-hitting, scoreless second period, USM increased its lead to 3-0 as rookie Parker Sanderson ripped a wrist shot into the top, nearside corner at 7:03 of the third period. Dymock and sophomore Victor Ivarsson (Stockholm, Sweden) picked up the assists.

New England College finally got on the scoreboard with 1:54 to play as freshman Martin Hallin redirected a blue-line shot by junior Scott Cornfield past Shapiro for a power-play goal.

The Pilgrims lifted Kilar with 1:45 to play for the extra attacker, but it was the Huskies who found the net. Dymock took a pass out from the defensive zone by Sanderson and skated into the Pilgrim zone and slid a 50-foot shot into the empty net at 19:25. Senior Daniel Mattsson also earned an assist.

New England College rolled up a 31-16 advantage in shots on goal, including a 15-2 margin in the third period. Kilar, who had to leave the game for more than six minutes in the second period with a broken skate blade, had 10 saves. Freshman Jon Manlow stopped two shots in his 6:24 of action.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Huskies honored their six departing seniors. Lapointe, Dymock, Ganley, Mattson, Todd Bannerman and Chad O’Brien were recognized for their contributions to the program.

Southern Maine closes the regular season next weekend with road games at Castleton University on Friday and Skidmore College on Saturday. New England College finishes the regular season with games at nationally ranked University of Massachusetts Boston on Friday and Babson College on Saturday.

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