GORHAM, Maine – Senior John Hagan (Canton, Mass./Tilton School) scored 1:45 into overtime to extending his point streak to six games and give the University of Southern Maine Huskies' men's ice hockey team a 6-5 win over the Keene State Owls on Friday night at the USM Ice Arena in the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss game. The Huskies' offense was fueled by the line of sophomore Gavin Simopoulos (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), junior Kayde Kinaschuk (Calgary, Alberta) and junior Ethan MacDuff (Lloydminster, Alberta) with each player logging three points.
 
Simopoulos scored three goals for his first career hat trick, Kinashcuk assisted on three goals and MacDuff had a goal and two helpers. The first goal for Simopoulos came in the first period to cut the Keene State lead in half at 2-1 and triggered the rain of teddy bears from the Southern Maine crowd.
 
Sophomore Owen Arend (Palmetto, Fla./Kents Hill School) also scored for Southern Maine. Freshman goalie Morin (Drummondville, Quebec) recorded 23 saves to pick up his eighth win of the season.
 
 
The Records:
Keene State: 5-11-0 (1-9-0 LEC)
Southern Maine: 9-7-1 (7-2-1 LEC)
 
Series History:
The Huskies swept the season series with tonight's win. Southern Maine previously won the first meeting between the two teams by a score of 3-0 on November 8 in Keene.
 
 
The Goaltenders:
Southern Maine: Loic Morin (8-6-1): 61:45, five goals allowed, 23 saves
Keene State: Ethan Swanson (1-2-0): 32:22, two goals allowed, 15 saves
Keene State: Cameron Reardon: 29:23, four goals allowed, 27 saves
 
 
 How It Happened:

• Keene State came out firing with Kaleb MacAulay giving the visitors a 1-0 lead just 1:21 into the opening period. The Owls then extended their lead to 2-0 when Chase Carney scored off his own rebound three minutes later.
• Simopoulos cut the lead in half after the Huskies forced a turnover and Kinaschuk found him crashing the net with 7:21 left in the period.
• The second period also saw a pair of quick goals as the Huskies scored twice in the first three minutes. Simopoulos scored his second goal 1:46 into the period off a rebound with Kinaschuk and MacDuff once again providing the assists. The Huskies then added another goal just 1:07 later as sophomore Gage LeTourneau (Presque Isle, Maine) and freshman Jordan Bezio (North Hampton, N.H.) set up Arend for a backdoor goal with an open net.
• Another turnover by the Owls helped Kinachusk set up MacDuff for another score with 10:37 left in the period. Keene State then switched goalies with Swanson replacing Reardon. A Luke Festa goal got the Owls back within a goal with less than seven minutes left to play before Simopoulos completed the hat trick with 1:57 left in the period.
• Keene State scored twice in the third period to tie the game and force overtime. Carney scored for the second time 5:38 into the period on the power play before Festa notched the score at 5-5 with 6:19 to go.
• Hagan's game-winner came on a two-on-one after taking a pass at center ice from senior Cole Brennan (Sussex, N.J./ Pomfret School). Hagan then passed to junior Owen Drummey (Falmouth, Maine) before Drummey sent the puck back to him to flick into the open net.

 
Inside The Stats:

• The Huskies had a 48-28 lead in shots on goal and a 43-37 lead in faceoff wins.
• Southern Maine went 0-for-2 on power plays while Keene State went 1-for-5.
• LeTourneau and senior Kadin Ilott (Kenora, Ontario) each blocked three shots.
• Hagan's game-winner is the first of his career. Simopoulos' hat trick is the first by a Husky since the six-goal game by freshman Ben Aucoin (Moncton, New Brunswick) scored six goals in a game earlier this season.

 
 
Up Next:
The Huskies have another home game tomorrow at 4:00 pm against Western Connecticut State.