GORHAM, Maine -- Senior goalie Jack McDonald (King City, Ont.) stopped 20 shots, including 11 in the third period, to backstop the visiting Skidmore College Thoroughbreds a 2-1 victory over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) men' game Saturday at the USM Ice Arena.  The game was the regular-season finale for the teams.

With the win, Skidmore extended its unbeaten strong to four games (2-0-2) and finished the regular season 10-11-4 overall and 9-6-3 in NEHC play.  Southern Maine dropped it third straight game to finish at 9-14-2 overall and 5-12-1 in the league.

The Thoroughbreds tallied the only goal of the first period converting a power-play opportunity midway into the stanza.  Rookie Matt Wolf (Naperville, Ill.) fired home a shot from the slot over the shoulder of USM junior goalie Kyle Shapiro (Ocean. N.J.) for his fifth goal of the season.  Rookie Owen Campbell (Foxboro, Mass.) and senior Anthony Bird (Central Square, N.Y.) earned the assists.

Southern Maine netted a tying goal in the latter stages of the second period as junior Alex Pantalone (Hudson, Mass.) tipped in a shot from freshman Tristan Dundas (Abbotsford, B.C.).  Sophomore Parker Sanderson (Bangor, Maine) also picked up an assist.

Less than a minute later, the Thoroughbreds went on the power play, and would go up two skaters at 16:14.  It would take just 11 seconds for Bird to score his 13th goal of the season with a shot from above the right-wing circle.  Junior Connor Pelkey (St. Albans, Vt.) and sophomore Corey Morgan (Ridgewood, N.J.) were credited with the assists.

From there, it would be McDonald's game.  With USM pressing throughout the final period looking for an equalizer, McDonald turn everything aside.  His best stop in the period came on a tip attempt by USM senior Cole Klippenstein (Franklin, Tenn.) while the Huskies were on a power play.

Skidmore finished the game with a 24-21 advantage in shots on goal, and converted 2 of 6 power-play opportunities.  Southern Maine went 0 for 4 with the man advantage.  Shapiro stopped 22 shots before being lifted for the extra attacker with 2:02 to play.

The teams will move on to the first round of the NEHC post-season tournament that starts next Saturday.  Skidmore will be on the road as the fifth seed traveling to fourth seeded Castleton University. Southern Maine will be the seventh seed and travel to second seeded New England College.