Box Score GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore Brianne Wheeler (Brussels, Ontario) stopped 22 shots to post her first shutout of the season as the Colby College Mules blanked the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 3-0, in a non-conference women's ice hockey game Tuesday night at the USM Ice Arena.
The win was the first of the season for the visiting Mules, and improved their record to 1-2-0 overall. The Huskies dropped their second straight game to slip to 2-3-0 overall. The two sides will meet again at Colby on December 10.
Junior Allyson Kane (Montpelier, Vt.) provided the Mules with the only goal they would need when she scored a power-play marker at 7:55 of the first period. Kane's shot from 45 feet out found its way through a maze of players and over the shoulder of USM rookie netminder Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.). Sophomore Annie Papadellis (Hopkinton, Mass.) and rookie Lauren Guarente (Wellesley, Mass.) picked up the assists.
Junior Kathy Shei (Iverness, Ill.) doubled the Mules' advantage before the end of the period when she beat Bergstrom to the right post with a 25-foot wrist shot from the left-wing circle.
Sophomore Samantha Slotnick (Canterbury, Conn.) added a second power-play goal for Colby midway through the second period, set up by Kane. Bergstrom stopped Slotnick initial shot, but Slotnick followed up and lifted the rebound into the top of the net over Bergstrom.
Wheeler got some strong defensive support as the Mules killed off five USM power plays. Her best stop of the night came in the third period when she held her ground on a breakaway attempt by sophomore Courtney White (Medford, Mass.). White faked to the backhand, but her forehand shot was stopped by Wheeler's left pad.
Colby finished the game with a 26-22 advantage in shots on goal.
Southern Maine is off until December 2 (4:00 p.m.) when it hosts Nichols College in an ECAC Women's East game at the USM Ice Arena. Colby will play a non-conference game at home on Sunday (2:00 p.m.) against the University of Massachusetts Boston.
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