GORHAM, Maine – The 11th ranked Castleton State College Spartans scored four goals in the third period to pull away the University of Southern Maine Huskies and post a 7-3 victory in ECAC Men's East action Friday night at the USM Ice Arena.  The game was the season opener for both sides.

            Leading 3-2 after 40 minutes, the Spartans scored three consecutive goals to open a 6-2 lead with less than four minutes to play.  The teams traded goals in the final 3:04 to account for the 7-3 final.

            Junior Ryan Delorme (Kanata, Ont.) had a pair of power-play goals to lead the Spartan attack.  Senior Josh Harris (Torrance, Calif.) contributed a goal and two assists, and senior Dan Bell (Victoria, B.C.) had three assists.  Sophomore goalie Thomas Shelley (Waterford, Ont.) turned aside 22 shots to pick up the win.

            Junior Jamie Osborne (Grand Lake, N.S.), sophomore Ryan Seward (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) and senior Jon Grandinetti (Ottawa, Ont.) each had a goal for Southern Maine.  Freshman goalie Patrick Farrington (Sandwich, Mass.) stopped 17 shots.

            Delorme gave the Spartans the early lead with a power-play marker at 5:18 of the first period.  Osborne equalized for the Huskies 48 seconds later.

            Harris put the Spartans back on top with his goal at 8:05 of the middle period.  Seward got the Huskies even just over six minutes later before Delorme gave the visitors the lead for good with his second extra-man goal at 17:16.

            Sophomore Brian Greene (Falmouth, Maine) netted what proved to be the game-winning goal at 1:12 of the third period.  Junior Nick Lazorko (Rockwall, Texas) scored the Spartans third power-play goal of the night at 4:36, and rookie Chris Bando (Wakefield, Mass.) made it 6-2 at 16:29.

            Grandinetti scored 27 seconds after Bando to cut the margin to 6-3, but senior Justin Alonzo (San Jose, Calif.) netted the Spartans' seventh goal in the final minute of play.

            Castleton State converted three of five power-play opportunities while Southern Maine was unable to convert on three chances with the extra man.  Southern Maine had a 25-24 edge in shots on goal in the game.

            Southern Maine is back in action on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) hosting Skidmore College.  Castleton State travels to the University of New England on Saturday (4:00 p.m.).