GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore defenseman Alex Pompeo (Hingham, Mass.) scored a power-play goal with 7:31 to play to give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 2-1 win over the visiting New England College Pilgrims Saturday in ECAC Men's East play at the USM Ice Arena.  The game was the regular season finale for both teams.

            The win snapped a thee-game skid for the Huskies who finished the season 6-14-5 overall and 5-11-2 in the league.  The Pilgrims dropped their third straight to conclude the season 14-9-1 overall and 10-8 in the ECAC games.  Both teams will advance to next weekend's quarterfinal round of the ECAC Men's East Championship Tournament.

            Pompeo found himself with the puck 30 feet out from goal and fired a high shot just under the crossbar past NEC senior goalie Sebastian Anderson (Sundyberg, Sweden) to break a 1-1 tie.  The goal was the fifth of the season for Pompeo.  Freshman Todd Bannerman (Georgetown, Ont.) and junior Sam Guimond (Portland, Maine) picked up the assists.

            USM rookie goaltender Dylan Wells (Nashville, Tenn.) held the fort the remainder of the way to preserve the win.  Wells finished with 25 saves.

            Southern Maine took a 1-0 lead in the opening period as senior Jamie Osborne (Grand Lake, N.S.) finished off a breakaway from the left wing side with a nifty move in front to beat Anderson for his third goal of the season.  Sophomore Jeremy Griffin (Roswell, Ga.) sprang Osborne with a long diagonal pass.  Sophomore Chad O'Brien (Providence, R.I.) earned the second assist after kicking the puck to Griffin.

            The Huskies' lead held up until late in the second period.  NEC tied the game when sophomore Cheyne Matheson (Wheatley, Ont.) scored a power-play goal from the right point.  Junior James O'Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and rookie Scott Cornfield (Brea, Calif.) worked the puck around to Matheson who fired a shot through a screen that Wells never saw.  The goal came at 16:33 and was Matheson's 12th of the season.

            Anderson made 20 saves before being lifted with 1:10 to play for the extra skater.  NEC finished the game out shooting USM 26-22.

            Southern Maine will be the seventh-seed in the upcoming tournament and will face nationally-ranked Babson College, the number two seed, in a quarterfinal-round game.  NEC will be the fourth seed and host a quarterfinal round game against Castleton State College.  Dates and times of both games will be announced.

            Southern Maine recognized its three departing seniors - forwards Angelo Vrachnas (St. James, N.Y.) Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.) and Osborne - prior to the game. 

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