Southern Maine Women Down Suffolk 5-2

            GORHAM, Maine -- Five players scored goals and senior goalie Whitney Padgett (Eden Prairie, Minn.) stopped 21 shots as the surging University of Southern Maine women's ice hockey team defeated visiting Suffolk University 5-2 in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at the USM Ice Arena.

            The win was the fourth straight for the Huskies who get to the .500 mark for the first time this season at 10-10-2 overall.  The Huskies, 7-2-2 in their last 11 games, improved to 8-5-0 in conference play, and moved into a tie for second place with Castleton University in the league standings.

            The visiting Rams fall to 7-11-3 overall, 7-5-1 in NEHC play, and slip back into a tie for fourth place in the NEHC standings with two weekends to go in the regular season.

            With Padgett holding the Rams at bay for the first two-plus periods, the Huskies built a 3-0 lead on goals from senior Jill Hannigan (Portland, Maine) and sophomore Julianne Nelson (Armstrong, B.C.) in the first period, and junior Shannon Colbert (Manomet, Mass.) in second period.

            Two third-period goals 80 seconds apart by Suffolk junior Maddy Burton (Auroa, Ill.) and sophomore Shana Cote (Broomfield, Ont.) closed the gap to 3-2 and forced USM into a timeout to settle things.  Burton's marker was an unassisted short-handed goal, and she picked up an assist on the Cote goal.

            Just over seven minutes after Cote's goal, USM rookie Maddy Young (Westford, Vt.) broke up a pass at center ice and went in on a breakaway.  Young snapped her shot over the glove hand of Suffolk junior goalie Kristen Caporusso (Stouffville, Ont.) into the top right corner for her first collegiate goal, giving the Huskies a two-goal cushion.

            Sophomore Brianna Doty (Lyndonville, Vt.) closed the scoring for USM with an unassisted empty-net goal at the 18:00 mark.

            Padgett was very steady over the first two periods making 18 saves.  The senior earned her eight win of the season, and 20th of her career.  Caporusso posted 24 saves at the opposite end.

            Southern Maine finished with a 29-23 edge in shots on goal.  Neither team was able to capitalize on the power play as USM went 0 for 4 while Suffolk was 0 for 2.

            Prior to the game, the Huskies recognized their six seniors who were playing their final regular season home game.  Along with Padgett and Hannigan, recognized were defensemen Grace Simmons (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Mikayla Butkus (Essex, Vt.), and forwards Katie Nolan (Dorchester, Mass.) and Amanda Piknick (Hyannis, Mass.).

            The Huskies hit the road next weekend for a critical pair of NEHC battles at league leader Norwich University on Friday (7 p.m.) and Castleton on Saturday (3 p.m.).  Suffolk will travel to Castleton on Friday (7 p.m.) and Norwich on Saturday (3 p.m.).

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