Southern Maine Scores Late to Defeat Salem State

GORHAM, Maine - Senior Samantha Ellis (New Vineyard, Maine) scored with just over two minutes left in regulation to snap a 2-2 game and lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 3-2 win over the Salem State University Vikings in Little East Conference field hockey action Tuesday night at Hannaford Field.

Salem State (4-4, 2-2) got on the board first and early junior Mikayla Mason (Beverly, Mass.) scored her team leading seventh goal of the season just 2:04 into the first quarter.

The Vikings' lead was short-lived, however, as Husky sophomore Mary Keef (Westbrook, Maine) scored her first intercollegiate goal 23 second later (2:37) to tie the game up at one.

After the early scoring, neither team put one across the board until the 26th minute as USM took a 2-1 lead into the halftime break. Sophomore Chloe Arsenault (Boothbay, Maine/Boothbay Region) scored the go-head goal off of a centering pass from Ellis.

Southern Maine (5-4, 3-1) maintained its one-goal advantage until the fourth quarter when Salem State freshman Alexia Hamilton (Burlington, Mass.) scored in the 51st minute to make the game 2-2.

With the clock winding down, overtime loomed until a flurry of activity in front of the Salem State goal led to Ellis' game-winner. Sophomore Brooke Carson (Bryant Pond, Maine/Oxford Hills) put a shot on frame only to be kicked away in a save before sophomore Hannah Banks (Belfast, Maine) collected the rebound in the circle and found Ellis at 57:55 for the win.

Julianna Kiklis (York, Maine) made four saves in the win, including three in the opening quarter. Salem State senior Kelli McCarthy (Foxboro, Mass.) made five saves.

(Courtesy Southern Maine Sports Information)