CLINTON, N.Y. -- Sophomore Bryan Kelly (Plymouth, Mass.) and junior Joe Buicko (Altamont, N.Y.) each scored a pair of goals to lead Hamilton College to a 4-1 victory over the University of Southern Maine in an ECAC East-NESCAC inter-league game Friday night at Russell Sage Rink.
The win extended the Continentals' unbeaten string to five games (4-0-1), and raised their record to 9-6-2 overall and 6-5-1 in league games. The Huskies dropped their second straight game to fall to 8-8-2 overall and 5-5-2 in league play.
Kelly and Buicko scored within a span of 2:01 before the midpoint of the second period to give the home side a 3-1 advantage.
Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a power-play marker by Kelly, set up by freshman Joe Houk (Richboro, Penn.) and sophomore Steve Lucchetti (Stoughton, Mass.).
The Huskies potted the equalizer at 1:05 of the second period when junior Steve Wiedler (Farmingville, N.Y.) lit the lamp off assists from junior Mike Carpenter (Minot, Maine) and senior Pat Noonan (Burlington, Mass.).
Kelly snapped the tie at 6:34 with his second power-play tally of the game, set up by rookies Anthony Ruberto (Stoney Creek, Ontario) and Andrew White (Franklin, Mass.). Buicko increased the margin to 3-1 at 8:35, converting a pass from senior Chris Lorenc (Clifton, N.J.).
Buicko added an insurance goal early in the third period. Lorenc and freshman Andrew Jelinek (Great Falls, Va.) picked up the assists.
Freshman goaltender Calvin Bartel (Drake, Sask.) stopped 27 of 28 shots to pick up the win for Hamilton. Sophomore Mason St. Hilaire (Saco, Maine) registered 29 saves for USM.
Southern Maine travels to seventh-ranked Amherst College on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). Hamilton hosts the University of New England on Saturday (3:00 p.m.).
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