Maine Hockey Journal

UMass-Boston ends Southern Maine’s season with 4-0 victory

Senior goalie Billy Faust made 20 saves and the top-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons scored three third-period goals to pull away for a 4-0 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a quarterfinal round game of the New England Hockey Conference tournament Saturday night.

The win sends the Beacons, ranked ninth in the latest Division III national polls, into next Saturday’s semifinal round hosting fourth-seeded University of New England. Fourth-seeded UNE advanced to the semifinals by defeating New England College 4-1. The Beacons take a 19-4-3 overall record into the semifinals. The Huskies finish their season 8-17-1 overall.

USM sophomore goalie Kyle Shapiro kept the Beacons’ high-powered offense at bay for the first 30 minutes until junior Albee Daley broke through just after a UMB power play had expired. Senior Derek Colucci picked up the lone assist on Daley’s eighth goal of the season.

The Beacons pulled away in the final nine minutes of the game scoring three times, the last into an empty net. Senior Frankie DeAugustine scored a power-play goal at 11:28, assisted by junior Tyler Bishop and sophomore Colin Larkin, to make it 2-0. DeAugustine scored his second goal of the game, and 15th of the season, five minutes later to give the Beacons firm command.

With Shapiro out of the net for the extra attacker, UMB rookie Garrett Gallagher scored an unassisted empty-net goal at 19:02 to account for the final tally.

UMass Boston piled up a 51-20 advantage in shots on goal, including a 42-12 margin over the final two periods. Shapiro, who made a career high 53 saves against the Beacons on January 29, finished the game with 47 saves.

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