Crowley and Dukas Score First Collegiate Goals 41 Seconds Apart to Give USM the Win

            BOSTON -- Rookies Amanda Crowley (South Yarmouth, Mass.) and Peyton Dukas (Fairfield, Vt.) scored their first collegiate goals 41 seconds apart late in the second period as the University of Southern Maine women 's ice hockey team rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the University of Massachusetts Boston 3-2 in New England Hockey Conference action Friday at the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink.

            The win was the third straight for the visiting Huskies and gave them a sweep of the teams regular-season home-and-home series.  The Huskies improve to 9-10-2 overall and 7-5-0 in NEHC play.  The Beacons, winners in eight of their last nine games, had their three-game winning streak snapped by the loss, and fall to 11-8-1 overall and 7-5-0 in conference play.

            Down 2-0 after one period, the Huskies got on the board early in the second frame when senior Grace Simmons (Buffalo, N.Y.) tallied her first goal of the season at 0:51 after an assist from sophomore Chelsea Skluzacek (Crosslake, Minn.).

            Crowley's first career goal, set up by senior Katie Nolan (Dorchester, Mass.), came at 16:09 to tie the score at 2-2.  Just 41 ticks later, Dukas had her first career goal, assisted by sophomore Julianne Nelson (Armstrong, B.C.) to give the Huskies the lead.

            UMB turned up the pressure in the third period looking for an equalizer, outshooting USM 11-2 in the period.  USM senior goalie Whitney Padgett (Eden Prairie, Minn.) held her ground turning aside all 11 shots to finish with 30 saves and her seventh win of the season.

            The Beacons took a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period when junior Jane Ann Drill (Madison, Wis.) scored her second goal of the season, on the power play, at 11:03.  Classmate Kelsey Ryan (Burlington, Mass.) would double the Beacons' lead in the final second with another power-play goal.

            UMass Boston finished the game with a 32-27 advantage in shots on goal, and converted on 2 of 8 power plays.  Southern Maine was 0 for 5 with the extra skater.  UMB senior goalie Caty Flagg (Methuen, Mass.) stopped 24 shots before being lifted for the extra skater with 1:36 to play.

            Southern Maine returns home for Senior Day on Saturday (1 p.m.) hosting Suffolk University.  USM will honor its six seniors prior to the start of the game.  UMass Boston will host Castleton University tomorrow (1 p.m.) for an NEHC game.

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