GORHAM, Maine -- Sophomore Jimmy Currier (Middleton, Mass.) scored both goals and junior goalie Kyle Shapiro (Ocean, N.J.) stopped all 21 shots as the University of Southern Maine men's ice hockey team opened the 2016-17 season with a 2-0 shutout victory over visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology in a non-conference game Saturday at the USM Ice Arena.
Currier scored in the first and third periods to provide the Huskies (1-0) with all the offense they would need. He notched his first goal less than five minutes into the season taking a pass from junior Brett Norman (Dawson Creek, B.C.) and snapping a 30-foot wrist shot under the crossbar past Wentworth rookie goalie Kenny Graham (Milton, Mass.). Senior Cole Klippenstein (Franklin, Tenn.) also picked up an assist.
Shapiro and Graham would turn aside every scoring bid until midway through the third period. Shapiro was particularly strong in the second period stopping a breakaway for junior Jake McDonough (Marshfield, Mass.), and Graham stopped 10 shots in the middle period.
Midway through the third period, Norman banked the puck off the glass and out of the Huskies' defensive zone to send Currier in on the left-wing side. Currier curled on the defender and fired another wrist shot over Graham's left shoulder and just inside the far post for his second goal.
The Leopards (0-2) pulled Graham with 2:15 to play after getting their fifth power-play opportunity of the game, but the Huskies defense and Shapiro held up under the offensive pressure.
Southern Maine finished with a 23-21 advantage in shots on goal. Neither team was able to capitalize with the man-advantage as the Huskies went 0 for 4 and the Leopard were 0-5.
The Huskies open their New England Hockey Conference schedule next weekend playing at Norwich University on Friday (7:00 p.m.) and Saint Michael's College on Saturday (4:00 p.m.). Wentworth opens its Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule on Thursday (5:40 p.m.) playing at Nichols College.