GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine capitalized with four goals in the second period and held off a late surge in the third to defeated UMass Dartmouth, 8-5 in Little East Conference action at the USM Ice Arena. The Huskies improve to 11-10-1 overall and 8-5-1 in conference play, while the Corsairs slip to 10-12-0 and 5-10-0 in the LEC.
It was a wild opening period of play as the two teams combined for five goals. The visiting Corsairs got things going at 6:47 of the frame as a shot in from the near boards by senior winger and assistant captain
Kevin Johnston was tipped in at the right doorstep by junior center
Doug Doren. Rookie winger
Levee Pakozdi earned the secondary assist after digging the puck out of the boards from behind the net.
Southern Maine answered at 10:56 as a wrist shot from the left circle by Ethan MacDuff pinged in over the blocker-side shoulder of senior
Graham Burke for the equalizer. Despite the home team momentum, it was the Corsairs who answered less than two minutes later, nabbing the 2-1 advantage on an outstanding effort.
It was a 2-on-1 as senior winger and assistant captain
Tyler Stewart and junior winger
Alex Walker passed the puck deep in the Huskies zone. Walker ripped a shot on net that was initially saved, but the rebound caromed out to rookie center
Kailin Chen as he poked it in for the go-ahead tally at 11:30.
UMass Dartmouth made it a 3-1 lead at the 18:38 mark on an outstanding 1-2-3 punch. Sophomore defender
Brennen Pecararo sent a pass into the left circle onto the stick of Chen, who didn't miss a beat as he caught a speeding Stewart in the mid-slot for the one-timer and a two-goal lead.
The Huskies responded with seconds to go in the frame as a pass from the point by Conor Donovan, found Ben Aucoin in the circle. The puck landed on the stick of Kadin Ilott, who backhanded a shot past the reach of Burke down low, making it a 3-2 game after the opening 20 minutes of play.
In the second period, despite a strong drive to the goal by the Corsairs, it was the Huskies that took advantage. Off a give-away near the point, Kinaschuk navigated it low, sending a quick pass to the left circle for MacDuff. He found Gavin Simopoulos speeding in as he deked it several times before beating Burke, who had dropped low.
The Huskies grabbed their first lead of the game just under two minutes later as a fantastic individual effort. Simopoulos fired a shot in from the left circle that was saved at close range, that blipped out in front as Kinaschuk was able to pot the rebound for the go-ahead tally at 14:53.
Southern Maine continued to pad onto its lead as the Huskies netted two goals within 10 seconds of one another to take a 6-3 advantage through two periods of play.
In the third period on the power play, Stewart made a brilliant play, skating through the left circle as he fed the puck through the slot. Chen was there in the low right circle, banking it into the goal to cut the deficit to two (6-4) at 1:05. Sophomore defender
Hunter Scanlon earned the secondary assist after passing the puck up in the UMD zone to Stewart in the neutral zone.
The Corsairs continued to fight, pulling to within a goal at 6:48 as Chen completed the hat trick – the first of his collegiate career. Senior defender
Hank McDonough sent a pass from the near point that was corralled by Stewart in the slot. Skating into the far circle, Stewart passed it through the slot as Chen tapped it in at the low left circle to make it a 6-5 game.
Southern Maine took back the momentum at the 14:27 mark, regaining the two-goal lead as Ethan Hoover slipped the puck past the reach of Burke on the doorstep for the 7-5 advantage.
The Corsairs worked to get back in – pulling Burke in favor of the extra-attacker with less than two minutes – but the Huskies capitalized on the empty net goal to widen the margin back to three (8-5) at the 18:30 mark.
Chen finished with three goals and an assist, going 14-9 from the faceoff circle. Stewart added a goal and two assists, posting a team-high eight shots. McDonough, Doren and rookie defender
Alex Pagliari were all credited with three blocked shots. In goal, Burke shouldered the loss, making 32 saves on the night.
UMass Dartmouth returns to the ice on Saturday, traveling to Babson College for a 4pm faceoff against the Beavers at the Babson Skating Center.
