Huskies to Face Babson College in NEHC Quarterfinal Round Game

            HENNIKER, N.H. -- Rookie Alex Laplante (Londonderry, N.H.) scored at 1:05 of overtime to give the New England College Pilgrims a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies in a New England Hockey Conference men's game at Lee Clement Arena on Saturday.  The game was the regular season finale for both teams.

            The Pilgrims finished the regular season with a 16-8-1 overall mark and 12-6-0 in NEHC play.  NEC locked down the fourth seed in the upcoming championship tournament and will host the University of Massachusetts Boston in a quarterfinal round game next Saturday.

            Southern Maine dropped its third straight game, finishing the season 7-15-3 overall and 6-10-2 in conference play.  The Huskies will be the seventh seed in the tournament and travel to Babson College for a quarterfinal game.

            NEC sophomore Trevor Momot (New Baltimore, Mich.) forced the game into extra time when he scored a shorthanded goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation.

            The Pilgrims nearly put the game away in the opening seconds of overtime as senior Patrick DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) rang a shot off the post.  Less the minute later, Laplante scored off a feed from rookie Hunter Hall (Moorhead, Minn.).

            Down 1-0 entering the second period, Southern Maine equalized at 3:22 as sophomore Bobby Kinsey (Leechburg, Pa.) buried his fourth goal of the season.  Sophomore Brendan Dowler (New Preston, Conn.) and senior Mark Tomaschek (Toms River, N.J.) picked up the assists.

            The Huskies took advantage of a power play midway through the period to take a 2-1 lead when sophomore Michael Green (Baie d'Urfã, Quebec) scored his seventh of the season off assists from sophomore Adam Withers (Kenora, Ontario) and junior Maverick Lynes (Sherwood Park, Alberta).

            Southern Maine senior goalie Paul Léger (Blainville, Quebec) protected the lead until Momot tied the game.  Léger finished with 42 saves as NEC outshot USM 45-27.  Senior Anthony Pupplo (Shirley, N.Y.) stopped 25 shots to pick up his 15th win of the season.  Pupplo also had an assist on Momot's game-tying goal.

            NEC scored the only goal in the first period as sophomore Nikita Pintusov (Mogilev, Belarus) notched his team-leading 24th goal of the season at 3:02.

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