Huskies Cruise Past Vikings 7-1

GORHAM, Maine  – Junior Abigail Staples (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) and freshman Samantha Ellis (New Vineyard, Maine/Mt. Blue) each scored two goals to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 7-1 win over the Salem State University Vikings Saturday afternoon at Hannaford Field.  

Playing in its Little East Conference and home-opener, Southern Maine wins its second consecutive game to stand at 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the Little East. Salem State has dropped two straight to open the 2018 season and is now 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference. 

Staples and Ellis scored in the 17th and 32nd minute to give the Huskies a 2-0 advantage in the first half, a lead Southern Maine would take into the halftime break.  Staples redirected a pass from classmate Maggie Redman (Alfred, Maine/Massabesic) for the first goal of the game, while Ellis blasted in a shot to the right side of the cage after a well-timed back pass from senior Dorina Sirois (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) for the first intercollegiate goal of her career.  

Salem State quickly halved its deficit to open the second half when senior Alyssa Drouin (Methuen, Mass.) slipped a goal past Southern Maine freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Pych (West Milford, N.J./Morristown-Beard) in the 38th minute.  However, Staples and Ellis connected for the Huskies' third goal of the game in the 41st to return the Huskies to a two goal lead, 3-1, and then Southern Maine ran off four more unanswered goals. Redman, sophomores Emily Skvorak (Windham, Maine) and Hayden Spencer(Sabattus, Maine/Oak Hill) and Ellis each scored for the 7-1 final.  

Pych earned the win for the Huskies playing 60:30 without recording a save, while sophomore McKenzie Cormier (Hiram, Maine/Sacopee Valley) played the final 9:30. Freshman Kelli McCarthy (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) made 10 saves for the Vikings. 

Southern Maine Sports Information