Huskies edge Seahawks in women's ice hockey

GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Emilee Burris (Brookfield, N.S.) scored midway through the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and give the University of Southern Maine women's ice hockey team its first win of the season defeating visiting Salve Regina University 2-1 Saturday afternoon in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action at the USM Ice Arena.

The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Huskies who improved to 1-4-0 overall and 1-3-0 in conference play. The Seahawks remain winless on the season dropping to 0-5-1 overall and 0-3-1 in NEHC games.

Burris forced a turnover at the Salve blue line and skated in alone on sophomore goalie Jennifer O'Donnell (Marston Mills, Mass.). O'Donnell made a pad save on Burris' first shot from 20 feet out, but the third-year forward found the rebound and chipped a shot over the prone goaltender into the top half of the net for an unassisted goal at 10:56. The marker was the first of the season for Burris.

The Seahawks pulled O'Donnell twice in the final 1:34, but were unable to generate a good scoring opportunity.

Salve Regina, trailing 1-0 entering the third period, tied the game at 2:53 when rookie Mikayla Anderson (University Place, Wash.) converted a pass out from the end board by junior Meredith Peppes (Lincoln, R.I.) for a power-play goal. USM rookie goalie Whitney Padgett (Eden Prairie, Minn.) stopped two attempts by senior Amanda Cronin (Medfield, Mass.), but Peppes followed the puck to the end boards and centered it out front to Anderson who lifted it past Padgett.

After a scoreless first period dominated by the Huskies, the home side finally made its hard work pay off late in the second period for a power-play goal. Rookie Katie Nolan's (Dorchester, Mass.) shot into a maze of players was stopped, but the rebound found its way onto the stick of classmate Meghan Concannon (Raynham, Mass.) to the right of the goal and she deposited it into the net for her first career goal at 17:19.

Southern Maine finished the game with a 32-22 edge in shots on goal, and both sides were 1 for 5 on the power play. Padgett, making her first career start, recorded 21 saves to earn the win. O'Donnell had 30 saves.

The Huskies hit the road for their next game on Friday (6 p.m.) at Holy Cross. The Seahawks will be at the University of Massachusetts Boston on Friday (4 p.m.).