Box Score Southern Maine Downs UNE 4-1
GORHAM, Maine -- Freshman Dylan Wells (Nashville, Tenn.) stopped 28 shots to backstop the University of Southern Maine men's ice hockey team to a 4-1 victory over visiting University of New England in ECAC Men's East action Friday night at the USM Ice Arena.
The win levels the Huskies overall mark at 3-3-0, and lifts them to 3-2-0 in league play. The Nor'easters slipped to 2-4-1 overall and 1-4-0 in ECAC games. The two teams will face each other on January 31 at UNE.
Wells carried a bid for his first career shutout deep into the third period before a shot from the right wing circle by UNE rookie Connor Bates (Laconia, N.H.) deflected off an USM player at 18:29. The goal was the first of Bates career.
Seniors Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.) and Jamie Osborne (Grand Lake, N.S.) supported Wells goaltending as each scored a goal and had two assists. Sophomore Alex Pompeo (Hingham, Mass.) and rookie Sam Blanchet (Laurier-Station, Que.) had the other USM goals.
The Huskies had the better of the play in the opening period staking Wells to a 2-0 lead. Pompeo scored his first goal of the season at 14:28 tipping home a centering pass from Osborne. Blanchet got what proved to be the game winner 1:19 later as he tipped in a shot taken by junior Ryan Seward (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) for a power-play goal.
Greene had the only marker of the second period when his centering pass from the right deflected past UNE senior goalie Ian Edwards (Linden, Mich.) at 12:21. Osborne and freshman Jordan Babb (Belmont, Ont.) picked up the assists.
Osborne made it 4-0 at 1:29 of the third period finishing off a 2-on-1 from Greene. From there, Wells protected the lead en route to his second win of the season.
UNE finished the game with a 29-28 edge in shots on goal. USM had the advantage on special teams killing off all four UNE power plays while converting 1 of 3 advantages.
Southern Maine is back in action on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) when Salem State University visits the USM Ice Arena for a non-conference game. UNE hosts in-state rival Bowdoin College in non-conference action on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.).
-ble-
