Box Score Pearl Nets Huskies Lone Goal
GORHAM, Maine -- Senior goalie Kirsten Shaughnessy (Le Center, Minn.) stopped 16 shots and three different players scored as visiting Manhattanville College defeated the University of Southern Maine 3-1 in ECAC Women's East play Friday at the USM Ice Arena.
The victory snapped a two-game losing skid for the Valiants, and improved their record to 5-6-3 overall and 4-2-1 in conference play. The Huskies fell to 4-10-1 overall and 2-5-1 in the league.
Shaughnessy was staked to a 2-0 lead in the first period and made it stand up. The senior stopped nine shots in the third period as the Huskies pressed the offense trying to overcome a two-goal deficit.
Sophomore Kayley Romano (Viera, Fla.) put the visitors on the board at 5:29 of the opening period firing home the rebound of a shot taken by classmate Taryn Harris (Morrison, Colo.). Harris' shot from about 20 feet out was stopped by USM senior goalie Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.), but the rebound went right out to Romano who made no mistake with her shot. The goal was the first of the season for Romano.
Rookie Sarah Sinning (Southold, N.Y.) doubled the Valiants' edge with a power-play marker at 18:52. Sinning tipped a shot taken by rookie Maeve O'Brien (Chicago, Ill.) past Bergstrom for her third goal.
Southern Maine cut the margin in half in the second period when senior Julia Pearl (Essex Jct., Vt.) banked a shot off the left post past Shaughnessy at 16:19 for her third goal of the season. Sophomores Ally Vanidestine (Bangor, Maine) and McKenna Russell (Stoughton, Mass.) picked up the assists on the play. Pearl's shot was the Huskies only shot on goal in the period.
Less than two minutes later, the Valiants converted another power-play opportunity for a 3-1 lead. Senior Sydney Asselstine (Hartington, Ont.) scored her second goal of the campaign knocking in the rebound of senior Rachel Morrison's (Ridgefield, Conn.) shot.
Down two with a period to play, the Huskies generated nine shots on Shaughnessy, but were unable to put the puck in the net. The Huskies had two late power plays, including 15 seconds with a 5-on-3 advantage, but could not capitalize.
Bergstrom finished the game with 17 saves. Manhattanville was successful on 2 of 3 power plays while Southern Maine was 0 for 4 with the extra skater.
Southern Maine hits the road for the first time since before Thanksgiving next weekend traveling to Holy Cross on Friday (3:00 p.m.) for an ECAC Women's East game. Manhattanville will play at the University of New England tomorrow afternoon (3:00 p.m.).
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