(With contributions from Johnson and Wales Sports Information)

Padgett Makes 25 Saves

            PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Senior goalie Whitney Padgett (Eden Prairie, Minn.) stopped 25 shots to backstop the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies women's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats in a New England Hockey Conference game Friday afternoon at Lynch Arena.

            The win lifts the Huskies' record to 3-4-0 overall and 3-2-0 in NEHC play.  The Wildcats slipped to 3-2-1 overall and 2-1-0 with their first NEHC loss of the season.  The game was the first of two this season between last year's NEHC quarterfinal round foes.  USM and JWU will meet at the USM Ice Arena on December 6.

            Padgett carried a shutout into the third period as the Huskies built a 2-0 lead.  The Wildcats finally found the net at 7:00 when junior Hannah Tracy (Hanson, Mass.) tallied a 5-on-3 power-play goal.  Padgett held her ground over the final 13 minutes to preserve the win.

            Sophomore Brianna Doty (Lyndonville, Vt.) gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead late in the first period when she deposited the rebound of a shot from classmate Jenna House (Buffalo, N.Y.) behind JWU sophomore netminder Jasmine Mucci (Arlington, Mass.) for her first marker of the season.

            The Huskies got what proved to be the game winner at 15:14 of the second period as senior Amanda Piknick (Hyannis, Mass.) scored her first of the season off assists from junior Rylie Binette (Milan, N.H.) and rookie Jordan Colbert (Manomet, Mass.).  Binette centered a pass from below the goal line to Piknick who fired a shot that beat Mucci to the blocker side.

            Southern Maine finished with a 30-26 advantage in shots on goal.  JWU converted on 1 of 6 power-play opportunities while holding USM scoreless on four chances.  Mucci stopped 28 shots before being lifted for the extra attacker in the final 90 seconds.

            The Huskies return to action on Tuesday (5 p.m.) for a non-conference game at Colby College.  The Wildcats return to the ice tomorrow (6:55 p.m.) hosting Suffolk University for an NEHC game.

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