Box Score GORHAM, Maine -- Rookie forward Ryan Seward (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) scored two goals and dished out an assist to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 4-2 victory over the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds in an ECAC Men's East game Saturday afternoon at the USM Ice Arena.
The win gives the Huskies a sweep of the teams' season series, and improved their record to 6-6-4 overall and 4-4-2 in the league. The Huskies defeated the Thoroughbreds, 5-4, in the season opening game at Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The Thoroughbreds dip to 5-10-2 overall and 4-6-0 in ECAC Men's East play.
Seward had a power-play goal in the second period to break a scoreless stalemate, assisted on the eventual game-winning goal later in the period and iced the victory with an empty-net marker with 1:01 to play.
After a scoreless first period, Seward put the Huskies on the board with a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 6:06. Junior David Nies (Brookline, Mass.) made the Thoroughbreds pay again at 7:00 with a second power-play goal.
Freshman Tim Colvin (Brunswick, Ohio) cut the deficit in half for the visitors when he roofed a shot from in tight for a power-play goal at 14:49.
Fifty seconds later, Seward and Nies set up freshman Stephen Gallo (Barnstead, N.H.) for what proved to be the game winner.
Before the wild period (five goals scored) came to a close, senior Tyler Doremus (Aspen, Colo.) pulled the Thoroughbreds back within one with a second Skidmore power-play goal. The teams combined to convert 4 of 5 power-play opportunities in the period.
Putting the pressure on throughout the third period, the Thoroughbreds out shot the Huskies 15-4, but could not slip the puck past USM sophomore goalie Braely Torris (Eckville, Alberta). Torris finished the game stopping 29 shots, including all 15 he faced in the final period.
Skidmore freshman goalie Spencer Sodokoff (Greenwich, Conn.) made 25 saves before being lifted for the extra attacker with 1:11 to play and the faceoff in the Huskies end. The Huskies won the faceoff and were able to work the puck out of the zone to Seward who sealed the victory with his empty netter from just inside the Skidmore blue line.
Nies finished the game with a goal and an assist, and sophomore line mate Jamie Osborne (Grand Lake, N.S.) picked up two assists.
Southern Maine will play its final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) when it journeys to Bowdoin College. Skidmore returns home next weekend to host New England College on Friday (7:00 p.m.) and Saint Anselm College on Saturday (4:00 p.m.).
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