GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine men's ice hockey team celebrated Senior Day ahead of Saturday's game against the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans and, fittingly, the Huskies prevailed 5-2 with four members of the senior class scoring goals. Seniors Zach Desmarais (St. Cyrille, Quebec), Nick Nault (Goffstown, N.H.), Jeff Pollara (Braintree, Mass.) and Jackson Legro (Brentwood, N.H.) had goals while Cole Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) and Mathieu Sabourin (Alexandria, Ontario) had assists. Senior goaltender Kyle Penton (Waltham, Mass./Albany Academy) made 39 saves to earn the win.
 
Sophomores Ethan MacDuff (Lloydminster, Alberta) also scored a goal for the Huskies while sophomore Kayde Kinaschuk (Calgary, Alberta) and freshman Gavin Simopoulos (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) had assists.
 
Anthony Persi and Trevor Castino scored for Castleton and Zach Trempner had assists on both goals.
 
The Records:
VTSU Castleton: 5-15-2 (3-14-1 NEHC)
Southern Maine: 6-16-1 (3-14-1 NEHC)
 
Series History:
Castleton leads the series 18-15-2.
 
The Goaltenders:
VTSU: Josh Ward (4-9-2), 59:56, four goals allowed, 26 saves
Southern Maine: Kyle Penton (5-6-1): 60:00, two goals allowed, 39 saves
 
How It Happened:

• Castino scored 5:38 into the first period after Trempner drew the puck back to him on the faceoff. The score held until MacDuff cashed in on the rebound of a Kinaschuk one-timer to tie the game with 1:18 left in the period.
• Desmarais gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead a little over five minutes into the second period with a backhanded shot after Ouellette keep the puck in the zone and found him in front of the net.
• The Spartans tied the game at 1-1 10:18 into the period when Persi and Trempner took advantage of a turnover by the Huskies.
• Nault scored a shorthand goal to tie the game 17:52 into the period after collecting the loose puck and taking it across the zone to rip a shot that found its way into the net off the stick off a Castleton player. The goal is the third shorthanded score by the Huskies this season.
• Pollara doubled the lead with a similar effort by stealing the puck and evading a Castleton defender to beat Ward for the second Southern Maine goal in the span of 1:18. Freshman Gage LeTourneau (Presque Isle, Maine) helped create the turnover by playing strong defense and forcing the play back towards Pollara.
• Penton made 16 saves in the third period and his defense helped him out by blocking seven shots. Castleton pulled Ward with less than 90 seconds remaining and Legro scored the empty-netter for his first goal as a Husky.

 
Inside The Stats:

• The Spartans had a 41-31 lead in shots on goal of 37-31 in faceoffs.
• The Southern Maine penalty killing unit shut down six power-plays and Penton withstood 15 shots while the Huskies were shorthanded.
• Each team blocked 17 shots. Nault and Desmarais each blocked two shots and delivered big checks in the contest.

 
Up Next:
The Huskies finish the season next weekend with a road series against UMass Boston.