GORHAM, Maine - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team scored with 16.2 ticks remaining to cut into a two-goal deficit but fell to the University of Southern Maine, 2-1, in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East contest on Friday night at the USM Ice Arena. With the loss, the Purple Knights fall to 0-3 overall and 0-3 in the league, while the Huskies improve to 1-0 and 1-0.

Junior Macey Thomas (Amherst, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) scored her first goal of the season for Saint Michael's, and senior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) made 26 saves.

Southern Maine received goals from sophomore Julia Pearl (Essex Junction, Vt./Rice AAA Prep) and first-year Sarah Timmons (Fall River, Nova Scotia/Ontario Hockey Academy), while sophomore Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska Hawks) stopped 19 shots to pick up the win.

After a scoreless first period, Timmons gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead with a goal 5:00 into the second frame on assists from junior Jackie Lacroix (Barre, Vt./Spaulding) and first-year Cassandra Sherman (North Smithfield, R.I./Rice Knights). Pearl connected for a goal 11:15 into the third period, on an assist from junior Bridget O'Brien (Boston, Mass./Fontbonne Academy), to put Southern Maine on top, 2-0.

The Purple Knights, who outshot their opponent, 11-6, in the final period, added an extra attacker with 1:26 remaining. Saint Michael's cut into the Southern Maine lead when senior Allison Graf (Long Lake, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds) set up Thomas for a tally at 19:43.8 to make the score 2-1. The Huskies didn't allow the Purple Knights to notch a game-tying goal, and took the contest, 2-1.

Saint Michael's continues its two-game road trip when it faces Plymouth State University at 2 p.m. on Saturday.