MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Senior Kailey Bubier (Auburn, Maine) recorded her second career hat trick and sophomore goalie Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.) stopped 33 shots as the sixth-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies upset the third-seeded Salve Regina University Seahawks, 5-2, Saturday night in a quarterfinal round game of the ECAC Women's East tournament at St. George's Arena.

            The Huskies' win avenges a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Seahawks during the regular season, and vaults them into next weekend's semifinal round against top-seeded Norwich University.  Norwich shut out eighth-seeded Plymouth State University, 6-0, in another quarterfinal round game Saturday.  The Huskies improved to 8-12-6 overall while the Seahawks end their season 15-11-0.

            Bubier, who had five goals in a game against Plymouth State during her rookie season, tallied a unassisted short-handed goal at 17:55 of the opening to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.  She added a 5-on-3 power-play goal midway through the third period to make it 4-1, and close the scoring with an even strength goal at 16:53.

            Despite the Seahawks holding a 35-18 advantage in shots on goal, Bergstrom stood tall in the Huskies' goal.  The sophomore surrendered a second period goal to sophomore Taylor Shepard (Quincy, Mass.), and a short-handed marker to sophomore Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) 41 seconds after Bubier's power-play score.  Bergstrom made 12 saves in each of the first two periods when the Seahawks had a 25-10 advantage in shots.

            After Shepard's goal at 4:57 of the second period tied the game at 1-1, rookie Cassandra Sherman (North Smithfield, R.I.) gave the Huskies a lead they would never relinquish when she lit the lamp for a short-handed goal, set up by sophomore Julia Pearl (Essex Jct., Vt.) and junior Shannon Cronin (Wakefield, Mass.), at 18:32.

            Junior Erin Banfield (Montpelier, Vt.) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 4:00 mark of the third period.  Sherman and junior Brittany Soar (Boxborough, Mass.) assisted on the power-play tally.

            Southern Maine's special teams played a big role in the victory.  USM, which had only six power-plays goals during the regular season, converted on 2-of-5 man-advantage situations, and scored two short-handed goals while killing off all eight Salve Regina power plays.