Pilgrims Outlast Huskies
New England College’s Brian Pouliot (Hooksett, N.H.) would score what would be the game-winner at the 9:11 mark in the third period to lift the Pilgrims past the University of Southern Maine Huskies 3-2 Friday evening. The win snaps a two game losing streak for the Pilgrims as they improve to 17-7-3 overall and 9-6-3 in the ECAC East. The loss drops the Huskies to 14-7-3 overall and 8-7-3 in ECAC East action.
The two teams would battle evenly through much of the first period as the Pilgrims would hold the edge in shots out shooting the Huskies just 10-8. It would be Southern Maine that would strike first as Chris Travis (Scituate, Mass.) would score his 12th goal of the season assisted by Mike Stevens (Dover, N.H.) and Kyle Smith (Auburn, Maine) with just under four minutes remaining in the first period.
NEC would tie the game at 1-1 early in the second period as Brian Pouliot would fire in a slap shot assisted by Mark Ehl (N. Vancouver, B.C.) just 1:53 into the second period. The Pilgrims would take the lead at the 12:09 mark in the second as Mark Ehl would score his team-leading 20th goal of the season sending the Pilgrims into the second intermission up 2-1.
Southern Maine’s Dan Gordon (Lynnfield, Mass.) would take advantage of a Huskie power-play in the opening minutes of the third period netting his 12th goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2 at the 4:13 mark. NEC would continue to hold the edge in shots throughout the third period with the Pilgrims out shooting the Huskies a total of 42-21 on the evening. NEC’s Pouliot would come up huge, scoring what would eventually become the game-winner at the 9:11 mark putting the Pilgrims up 3-2. The Huskies would have a power-play opportunity late in the period but the Pilgrim defense would prove too tough holding on for the 3-2 victory.
Picking up the win in goal for New England College was Ron Baia (West Haven, Conn.) who finished with 19 saves. In goal for Southern Maine was Jamie Gilbert (Lewiston, Maine) who finished with an impressive 39 saves.
