Box Score Mathieu Scores GWG 19 Seconds into Extra Time
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Freshman Tyler Mathieu (Stillwater Lake, N.S.) scored 19 seconds into overtime to give the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies a 3-2 victory over the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds in a New England Hockey Conference game Saturday at Saratoga City Rink.
The win was the third in the last four games for the Huskies who finished the regular season 8-16-1 overall and 5-13-0 in the conference. It also avenged a 1-0 loss to the Thoroughbreds last month. The Thoroughbreds dropped their third straight game to finish the season 5-16-4 overall and 5-10-3 in NEHC play. Both teams will advance to the quarterfinal round of the first NEHC championship tournament that begins next Saturday.
In the opening seconds of the overtime period, Mathieu took a feed from rookie Parker Sanderson (Bangor, Maine) and beat Skidmore senior goalie Ben Freiberg (Weston, Mass.) for his sixth goal of the season, and first career game winner.
Tied 1-1 going into the third period, the Huskies took the lead on rookie Blue Hayler's (Missoula, Mont.) first career goal, an unassisted short-handed tally, at 11:31. However, the lead last just over two minutes as freshman Corey Morgan (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored the Thoroughbreds second power-play goal of the game to tie the game and set the stage for Mathieu.
After the teams skated through a scoreless first period, the Thoroughbreds took a 1-0 lead when sophomore Christian Leahy (Scituate, Mass.) scored a power-play goal at 6:26. Southern Maine tied the game ten minutes later when Sanderson scored an unassisted goal.
Southern Maine sophomore goalie Kyle Shapiro (Ocean, N.J.) stopped 21 shots to earn his eighth win of the season. Freiberg made 16 saves.
In next weekend's quarterfinals, Southern Maine will be the eighth seed and travel to regular season champion, the University of Massachusetts Boston. Skidmore will be the seventh seed and takes on second seeded Babson College.
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