Southern Maine Scores 3-0 Win Over Salem State

GORHAM, Maine -- Three different players scored goals and rookie goalie Hannah Aveni (Melrose, Mass.) stopped 22 shots as the University of Southern Maine women's ice hockey team shut out visiting Salem State University in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) game Saturday at the USM Ice Arena.

The win gives the Huskies a 5-8-0 overall record and a 4-5-0 mark in NEHC play heading into exams and the holiday break.  The Vikings dropped their fifth straight game to slip to 2-9-1 overall and 2-6-1 in conference games.  The two teams will meet again at Salem State on January 25.

Aveni, making her first collegiate appearance, provide the Huskies with steady goaltending throughout the game.  The rookie made her best saves in the third period when she stopped SSU senior Rose Sullivan's (Charlestown, Mass.) initial shot and follow-up attempt on the rebound while protecting a 2-0 lead.

Senior Katie Nolan (Dorchester, Mass.) got the Huskies on the board early in the first period when she redirected a centering pass from sophomore Julianne Nelson (Armstrong, B.C.) past Salem State senior goalie Sarah Plourde (Hooksett, N.H.) at 4:33.  Sophomore Brianna Doty (Lyndonville, Vt.) picked up the secondary assist.  The Huskies had a 9-7 edge in shots on goal in the evenly played period. 

The Huskies doubled their lead in the latter stages of the second period, taking advantage of the power play.  Junior Shannon Colbert (Manomet, Mass.) chopped a shot over Plourde's shoulder after Doty and senior Mikayla Butkus (Essex Jct., Vt.) exchanged a pass out at the blue line.  Butkus shot went off a defender right to Colbert for a backhand chop.

Senior Jill Hannigan (Portland, Maine) closed the scoring midway through the third period with a wrap-around attempt.  Rookie Peyton Dukas (Fairfield, Vt.) and senior Grace Simmons (Buffalo, N.Y.) picked up the assists.

Southern Maine compiled a 28-22 advantage in shots on goal, and was 1 for 5 on the power play.  Plourde had 25 saves in the Salem State net.

(Courtesy Southern Maine Sports Information)