GORHAM, Maine -- Junior David Nies (Brookline, Mass.) scored his first goal of the season with 5:38 to play to cap an improbable four-goal third period and give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 4-3 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons Friday evening in an ECAC Men's East game at the USM Ice Arena.

            The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Huskies, and improved their record to 2-4-0 overall and 2-3-0 in league play.  The Beacons had their three-game unbeaten streak (1-0-2) stopped, and fall to 2-5-2 overall and 0-5-0 in the league.

            Southern Maine came from behind twice in the third period.  Down 2-0 after 40 minutes, sophomore Angelo Vrachnas (St. James, N.Y.) ignited the USM outburst with his second goal of the season at 6:38.  Thirty-four seconds later, junior Matt MacDonald (Byfield, Mass.) tied the score with his first goal of the campaign.

            Junior Rob Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) restored the lead to the Beacons at 12:25 tipping home a pass from sophomore Travis Daniel (North Brunswick, N.J.).  The goal was Florentino's second of the game, and third of the season.

            Again the Huskies came back when junior Jon Grandinetti's (Ottawa, Ontario) shot deflected off a UMB player and over the shoulder of freshman goalie Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H.) at 13:48.  Nies potted the game winner 34 seconds later when he took a pass from sophomore Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.), circled the net and beat Scola on the warp-around shot.

            The Beacons pressed for a tying score in the final minute pulling Scola for the extra attacker, but the Huskies defense and sophomore goalie Braely Torris (Eckville, Alberta) stood firm.  Torris finished the game with 27 saves, while Scola had 19 stops before heading to the bench with 1:01 to go.

            After a scoreless first period, the Beacons took a 2-0 lead in the second period on Florentino's first goal, a power-play marker, at 13:34 and a goal from senior Anthony Fitti (Havertown, Pa. at 18:35.  Fitti's goal was his team-leading sixth of the season.

            Southern Maine looks to make it two in a row Saturday (4:00 p.m.) when it hosts Babson College.  UMass Boston travels to play the University of New England on Saturday (4:00 p.m.).

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