BOSTON -- Junior Stephen Buco (North Providence, R.I.) scored the game-winning goal with 7:56 remaining in regulation to give the nationally ranked University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons a 3-2 victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies in ECAC Men's East play Friday night at the Clark Athletic Ice Arena.

            The Beacons, ranked #12 in the D3hockey com poll and #14 in the USCHO.com poll, improved to 15-4-3 overall with the win and 8-4-3 in league play.  The Huskies slipped to 5-12-5 overall and 4-9-2 in the league.

            Buco converted a set up from senior Travis Daniel (North Brunswick, N.J.) and rookie Tyler Bishop (Ramsey, N.J.) into his second goal of the season to snap a 2-2 tie.  Sophomore goalie Billy Faust (Alta Loma, Calif.) protected the one-goal margin over the final eight minutes to preserve the win.  Faust finished the game with 33 saves.

            Southern Maine rallied earlier in the third period to tie the score as sophomore Alex Pompeo (Hingham, Mass.) scored his fourth goal of the season.  Rookie Todd Bannerman (Georgetown, Ont.) and junior Ryan Seward (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) picked up the assists.

            The Beacons scored the only goal in the first period to take a 1-0 lead.  Sophomore Kit Sitterley (Mooresville, N.C.) lit the lamp for the eighth time this season at 3:34 off assists from Daniels and sophomore Frankie DeAugustine (Pittsburgh, Penn.).

            USM senior Mike Greene (Arvada, Colo.) equalized at 9:32 of the second period when he netted an unassisted short-handed goal after causing a Beacon turnover.

            UMass Boston regained the lead 35 seconds later on the same power play.  Freshman Cody Dixon (Hales Corner, Wis.) scored his fifth marker of the season with the assists going to Sitterley and DeAugustine.

            Freshman goalie Dylan Wells (Nashville, Tenn.) stopped 37 shots in the USM goal before being lifted for the extra attacker with 1:32 to play.

            Southern Maine will face #4/#5 Babson College on Saturday (4:00 p.m.).  UMass Boston will host the University of New England on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). 

-ble-