Huskies Close Regular Season at Keene State on Saturday

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Seniors Megan Tingley (Natick, Mass.) and Sam Sullivan (Canton, Mass.) combined for 14 points as the Little East Conference leading Plymouth State University Panthers pulled away in the second half for a 19-13 victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies Tuesday afternoon at Arold Field.

            The win was the eighth straight for the Panthers lifting their overall record to 11-3.  The Panthers are unbeaten in conference play at 5-0.  The Huskies had their two-game winning streak snapped by the loss and fall to 9-6 overall and 2-3 in LEC play.

            Tingley led all scorers with eight points on five goals and three assists.  Sullivan also scored five times and had one assist.  Junior Kimberly Zuccaro (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) added a hat trick and passed out one assist.

            Junior Aliza Jordan (Gorham, Maine) led the Huskies notching four goals.  Classmate Colleen Fleming had two goals, two assists, four ground balls and seven draw controls.  Sophomores Megan Violette (Portland, Maine/Deering) and Allison Irish (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic) and rookie Alex Farley (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) had two goals apiece.

            USM junior goalie Hala Van Nostrand (Granby, Conn.) made 14 saves in the game.  Her PSU counterpart, senior Clarissa Foote (Weare, N.H./John Stark Regional), stopped six shots.

            A four-goal run, consisting of two goals from Jordan and single markers from Irish and Fleming, in the opening half gave USM a 7-5 lead midway through the high-scoring half.  PSU tightened up defensively over the final 15 minutes and scored three goals to take an 8-7 lead into the break.

            Farley scored in the opening minute of the second half to tie the game, but from there the Huskies fell into a trend of give up two goals and score one as the Panthers slowly extended their lead.  Sullivan broke the 8-8 tie with her fourth goal of the game with just under 28 minute to play.

            Plymouth State had a commanding 44-20 advantage in shots and 32-18 margin in ground balls.  USM, led by Fleming  had a slim 18-16 edge in draw controls.

            Southern Maine closes its 2018 regular season this Saturday (1 p.m.) playing at Keene State College.  Plymouth State has a Thursday (4 p.m.) home date with Keene State in a rescheduled game from April 17.

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