GORHAM, Maine – Senior captain
Shannon Murphy (Pembroke, Mass./Brewster Academy) scored her first goal of the season with 2:17 left in the third period to give the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's ice hockey team a 3-2 win over New England College in their first Little East Conference game of the season. The Huskies scored twice in the third period to erase a 2-1 lead by the Pilgrims.
The Huskies also had power play goals from freshman
Ruby Bascello (Camrose, Alberta/St. Francis Xavier Catholic) and sophomore
Gracelyn Koch (Maple Grove, New Brunswick). The goal for Bascello is the first of her career. Freshman
Madeleine Wopling (Gatineau, Quebec) also recorded the first point of her career with an assist on Koch's goal.
Senior
Maggie Jones (St. John's, Newfoundland/Mount Academy) made 24 saves to earn her first win of the season.
The Records:
NEC: 0-2-0 (0-1-0 LEC)
Southern Maine: 1-1-0 (1-0-0 LEC)
Series History:
Today's game was the 51st between the two programs. The Huskies lead the series 29-19-3, Last season saw Southern Maine win the series 2-1. The first game last season was a 4-0 win by the Huskies on November 7, 2025. In the second game, the Pilgrims snapped a 12-game losing streak in the series with a 2-1 win in Gorham on January 8, 2026. The Huskies took the season series the following day with a 4-1 victory.
The Goaltenders:
NEC: Anna McGinty (0-2-0), 59:15, three goals allowed, 23 saves
Southern Maine:
Maggie Jones (1-1-0): 60:00, two goals allowed, 24 saves
How It Happened:
- Neither team scored in the opening period as the Pilgrims held a 10-7 lead in shots on goal.
- The Pilgrims scored 1:31 into the second period when Pnina Basov scored from in front of the net with assists from Sofia Gualtieri and Samantha Babbitt. The Huskies tied the game with 12:58 left in the period when Bascello redirected a shot by junior Josie Arrants (Rock Springs, Wy./Lovell Academy) with junior Sophia Capone (Cumberland, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey School) also assisting. The goal, which came on the power play, was the first of the year for the Huskies in addition to being the first of Bascello's career.
- NEC retook the lead with a goal by Rylee Page just over two minutes later and stayed ahead for the rest of the period.
- The Huskies tied the game with another power play score 2:29 into the third period when a shot by Koch found its way into the net. Wopling and junior Greta Grant (Brownfield, Maine/Fryeburg Academy) recorded assists on the score.
- With 2:17 left in regulation, Murphy stole the puck off a NEC skater in front of the net and turned to fire a shot that beat the Pilgrims' goalie to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead. Southern Maine did not allow a shot the rest of the way to hold on for the win.
Inside The Stats:
- The Huskies went 2-for-6 on the power play, while NEC was 0-for-2.
- Each team put 26 shots on goal.
- The Huskies led 30-21 in faceoff wins led by 11 from junior Joely Power (Clarenville, Newfoundland/Mount Academy).
Up Next:
The Huskies will host Plymouth State tomorrow at 1:00 pm in the USM Ice Arena.
-rwd-
