Southern Maine Ties New England College 2-2

Sophomore D Tristan Dundas scored the game-tying goal with 2:35 remaining in regulation to give USM a 2-2 overtime tie with New England College (file photo by Jason Johns).

GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore Tristan Dundas (Chilliwack, B.C.) scored his first goal of the season with 2:35 remaining in regulation to give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a come-from-behind, 2-2 overtime tie with the visiting New England College Pilgrims in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action Friday evening at the USM Ice Arena.

            The tie gives the Huskies a 1-7-3 overall record and a 1-4-2 mark in conference play.  The Pilgrims, who came into the game riding a four-game winning streak, are now 6-4-1 overall and 3-3-1 in NEHC play.

            Down one with time winding down in regulation, USM rookie center Michael Taormina (Plymouth, Mass.) won a faceoff back to Dundas at the blue line, and the second-year defenseman fired a low drive that beat NEC senior goaltender Kyle Shapiro (Ocean Township, N.J.) inside the far post to tie the game.  Both sides had opportunities in in the final 2:35 and in the overtime period, but neither side could come up with the game winner.

            The visitors took an early 1-0 lead by taking advantage of a USM turnover in the defensive zone.  Sophomore Carlos Fornaris (Miami, Fla.) got the puck out front to junior Mike Whitehair (Victor, N.Y.) who buried his shot past USM rookie goaltender Anthony D'Aloisio (Frisco, Texas).

            That would prove to be the only goal of the first two periods as D'Aloisio and Shapiro turned aside every other scoring bid.  D'Aloisio also got some help from the iron in the first period when sophomore Adam Zöllner (Varnamo, Sweden) clanked a shot off the post.

            In the third period, USM tied the game at 1-1 at 2:13 of the period when junior Parker Sanderson (Bangor, Maine) stuffed in the rebound of a shot from classmate Conor Ferrera (Manhattan Beach, Calif.).

            NEC regained the lead at 7:13 when junior Connor Fries (Barnstable, Mass.) tallied a power-play goal off a neutral zone turnover.  The Pilgrims were unlucky in the period hitting the post twice before Dundas scored the game-tying goal.

            D'Aloisio registered 31 saves in the game while Shapiro stopped 27 shots at the other end.  New England College finished the night with a 33-29 edge in shots on goal, and converted on 1 of 4 power-play opportunities.  Southern Maine was unable to take advantage when it had a five-minute power play in the second period, and was 0 for 2 with the extra skater.

            Southern Maine is back in action tomorrow afternoon hosting Saint Anselm College in a non-conference game.  New England College is off until January 2 when it host Amherst College in non-conference action.