Southern Maine Falls in Season Opener to Castleton 4-1

            GORHAM, Maine -- Senior goalie Jess Cameron (Mt. Mellick, P.E.I.) stopped 24 shots and four players scored goals as the Castleton University Spartans defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 4-1 in a New England Hockey Conference game Friday afternoon at the USM Ice Arena.

            The unbeaten Spartans improved to 3-0-0 overall and 1-0-0 in league play with the victory.  The game was the season opener for the Huskies.

            Cameron was steady throughout the game making eight saves in the first period, seven more in the second and nine in the final frame to earn her third win of the season.  The only shot to elude Cameron came in the second period as USM junior Olivia Barragree (Red Lodge, Mont.) scored her first career goal at 18:31.

            The Spartans took a 1-0 lead with the only goal of the first period as junior Lisa Kilroy (Leominster, Mass.) scored an unassisted goal at 3:39 after a neutral zone turnover.

            In the middle period, Castleton added two markers to increase its lead to 3-0.  Sophomore Hannah Rose (Kenora, Ont.) converted an assist from senior Anna Daniels (Falun, Sweden) at 9:01 into her second goal of the season.  Just over three minutes later, junior Hannah Wright (Arlington, Mass.) scored from the blue line through a screen.  Rookie Aimee Briand (Barrington, N.H.) and sophomore Brianna Keats (Calgary, Alb.) earned the assists.

            Barragree potted her first career goal beating Cameron over the right shoulder from 20 feet out after sophomore Emilee Burris (Brookfield, N.S) poked the puck off a Castleton player's stick.

            Junior Ally Brandland (Bellingham, Wash.) scored an unassisted goal midway through the final period for the Spartans to account for the final tally.

            Senior Nia Kelly (Santa Barbara, Calif.) started in goal for the Huskies and registered 19 saves over 50:18 of action.  Rookie Britney Evangelista (North Smithfield, R.I.) came on to play the final 9:42 and stopped two shots.

            Southern Maine is back in action Saturday afternoon (1:00 p.m.) facing nationally-ranked Norwich University.  Castleton travels to the University of New England on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).

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