Box Score HARRISVILLE, R.I. (Jan. 21) – The University of Southern Maine women's ice hockey team scored five unanswered goals to defeat Nichols, 5-1, in an ECAC Women's East game at the June Rockwell Levy Rink Friday evening. The Huskies improve to 4-10-1 overall and 3-7-1 in conference action, while Nichols dips to 2-13-0 overall and 1-8-0 in league play.

Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) gave Nichols the early lead, putting in a rebound four minutes into the game. SueEllen Nault's (Goffstown, N.H.) shot was saved and Forand picked it up to lift into the open left side of the net.

Southern Maine equalized late in the frame on a rebound as well, with Erin Banfield pushing in a loose puck off a shot from Mary Vaughan at 17:12.

The Huskies scored three unanswered goals in the second period, including two just over a minute apart within the opening four minutes. Bridget Mini fired from the top of the right circle and her shot trickled through for a 2-1 lead at 2:56. At 3:58, Kailey Bubier potted a netfront rebound off a shot from Courtney White to give the Huskies a two-goal advantage.

Katie Paradis capped the period's scoring at 12:28 with a backhand redirect of a netfront pass from Kylie Blasen, giving the Huskies a 4-1 lead to carry into the second intermission.

Nichols had a slew of chances on a power play midway through the final stanza, peppering Huskies goaltender Jordan Lee  with several shots, but came up empty handed.

Southern Maine, meanwhile, found the back of the net at 14:37 when Alex Smith  sent down a puck from the blue line that made it way past Nichols goaltender Melissa Mansfield (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), slipping it through, five-hole. White was credited with the assist.

Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.) allowed four goals and made 15 saves in the start for Nichols before giving way to Mansfield midway through the second period. Lee made 30 stops to earn the win.
Neither team notched a power-play goal, with USM finishing 0-for-4 and the Bison going scoreless in five attempts.

Nichols wraps up its five-game homestand Saturday with a 4:40 p.m. ECAC East game against Plymouth State. Southern Maine travels to Manhattanville Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. ECAC East game.

Box Score