(Courtesy of Colby College Sports Information)

            WATERVILLE, Maine – Junior Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass.) scored on a blast from the left point for the game-winning goal to lift University of Southern Maine to a 5-3 non-conference win over Colby College on Tuesday night at Alfond Rink.

            The Huskies improved to 6-7-0 overall, while the Mules fall to 3-10-0.  The win gives the Huskies, who beat the Mules in overtime on November 20, a sweep of the teams' home-and-home season series.

            Thibodeau scored at 9:51 of the third period for the lone power-play goal of the game. Freshman Alex Pompeo (Hingham, Mass.) scored his second goal of the game into an empty net with just 1.2 seconds remaining for the final score.

            The teams were tied 1-1 after one period and 2-2 after the second intermission. 

            Colby struck first when sophomore Brendon Bourgea (South Burlington, Vt.) pushed a backhand shot through a group of players in front at 9:39 of the first period. Senior co-captain Scott Harff (Watertown, N.Y.) had an assist on the goal.

            Southern Maine tied the game just 1:16 later on a delayed penalty call against Colby. Senior Matt MacDonald (Byfield, Mass.) took the puck from his own zone on the delayed call and Pompeo knocked his centering pass in.

            The Huskies won the battle for a loose puck and took a 2-1 lead at 12:13 of the second period. Junior Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.) notched the goal when his shot from the left side went into the left corner of the net behind screened Colby sophomore goaltender Sam Parker (Cambridge, Mass.).

            Sophomore Robert McCormick (Laconia, N.H.) tied the game at 2-2 with just 53.7 seconds left in the second period. He deflected in a centering pass from the right side by classmate Nils Martin (Potomac, Md.).

            Junior Angelo Vrachnas (St. James, N.Y.) had a nice individual effort to put the Huskies up 3-2 in the opening minute of the third period.  He took a pass from sophomore Sam Gulmond (Portland, Maine), beat a defender along the right side boards, and lifted a shot from a tough angle past Parker as he skated toward the net.

            The Mules tied the game at 3-3 at 4:13 of the third period on a great shift. Colby kept the pressure on for nearly a minute before junior Brendan Cosgrove (Exeter, N.H.) circled from behind the net and scored. Martin and freshman Tyler Lingel (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) had assists.

            After the power-play goal by Thibodeau, Colby went on the power play with just 1:53 left in the game after a Southern Maine tripping penalty. The Mules pulled their goaltender with 1:28 to play to have a two-skater advantage, but could not get the equalizer.

            Rookie Josh Hillegas (Middleton, Wis.) made 11 of his 20 saves in the third period for USM. Parker made 28 stops for the Mules before being lifted for the extra skater.

            Southern Maine returns to ECAC East play this Friday (7:00 p.m.) hosting New England College.  Colby hosts Trinity College for a NESCAC game on Friday (7:00 p.m.).