Box Score Huskies Host New England College on Saturday
GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Shannon Smith (Naperville, Ill.) snapped a scoreless tie with just under seven minutes to play to give the visiting University of New England Nor'easters a 1-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a New England Hockey Conference game Friday at the USM Ice Arena.
The victory extended the Nor'easters unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1), and improved their record to 10-5-2 overall and 5-4-1 in NEHC games. The Huskies fell to 2-14-1 overall and 1-8-1 in conference play.
Smith came up with the puck in the right wing circle and flipped a wrist shot on goal. USM rookie goalie Britney Evangelista (North Smithfield, R.I.) got a piece of the shot, but it trickled over her pad and across the line at 13:04. The goal was unassisted, and the fourth of the season for Smith.
UNE junior goalie Sydney Helmbrecht (Grand Rapids, Minn.) protected the lead over the final 6:56 to finish with 21 saves and earned her third shutout of the season. Evangelista stopped 23 shots in the Husky cage.
The Huskies had a slight edge in play in the opening period, but Helmbrecht held the fort. Helmbrecht twice stopped USM junior Lynn Kozlowski (Stoneham, Mass.) from in close to keep the game scoreless. Evangelista made back-to-back stops on UNE's first two shots of the period by Smith and junior Gabrielle Moscato (Wakefield, Mass.) midway through the period.
The momentum shifted in the middle period as the Nor'easters out shot the Huskies 11-6 in the period. Evangelista came up big with the left pad on a shot from the left-wing circle by rookie Julianne Sheehan (Chelmsford, Mass.) and later stoning junior Gabby Crugnale (Malden, Mass.) in close.
Both sides had good looks in the third period until Smith gave the visitors the lone goal. UNE finished with a 24-21 advantage in shots on goal, and effectively killed off all four USM power plays. The Huskies shut down the Nor'easters on three man-up opportunities.
Southern Maine is back in action tomorrow afternoon (1:00 p.m.) hosting New England College. UNE will be at home on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) entertaining Plymouth State University.
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