The Utica College women's hockey team tied nationally-ranked No. 2 Plattsburgh State 3-3 in ECAC Women's West Conference play Saturday afternoon at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Pioneers netted two goals in the second period to take a 3-2 lead until the Cardinals scored the game-tying goal with just 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Both teams were held scoreless in the overtime period and each team earned one point for the tie. Junior Darcy Hier netted one goal and added one assist for UC, while classmate Samantha Glockling also added two assists.
The Pioneers are now 7-5-2 overall on the year while Plattsburgh earned its first tie of the season and now stands at 9-1-1 overall. Plattsburgh defeated Utica 6-1 at the Aud on Friday night. The Cardinals sits atop the ECAC Women's West Conference standings with an 8-0-1 record, while the Pioneers are currently in third place in the ten team conference with 4-3-2 ledger in conference play.
Laurie Bowler gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead 5:21 into the first period when she scored her fifth goal of the season on the power play off of assists from Stephanie Moberg and Kristen Bond. UC answered right back and knotted the score at 1-1 when Lynny Gonzales tallied her team-high sixth goal of the season on the power play at the 15:55 mark of the first period. Senior Andrea Maxon and junior Darcy Hier assisted on the game tying goal.
Plattsburgh took a 2-1 lead with 16 ticks left on the first period clock when Teal Gove found the back of the net for the fourth time this season on the power play. Jordan Caldwell assisted Gove to give the Cardinals a one goal advantage.
The Pioneers dominated the second period by scoring two goals en route to a one goal lead. Tiffany Bichrest opened the scoring in the second frame when she netted her second goal of the year just over three minutes into the period off assists from Samantha Glockling and Maxon. Hier gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead when she tallied her fifth goal of the season 8:12 later. Gonzales and Glockling assisted on the goal that gave UC a one goal advantage.
Plattsburgh tied the game for good with 47 seconds to go in regulation when Teal Gove added her second goal of the evening off assists from Kara Buehler and Moberg.
Both teams could not find the back of the net in the five minute overtime as the game came to an end in a 3-3 tie.
Senior goalie Jill Doherty stopped 49 shots as her record improved to 7-4-2 overall on the year, while Mandy Mackrell stopped 19 shots in net for Plattsburgh. The Cardinals earned a 52-22 shot advantage on the day.
Utica returns to the ice on Wednesday when they square off against non conference foe Williams College at 7 p.m. These two teams met previously on December 12th and the Pioneers came out on top with a 2-1 victory. Plattsburgh remains on the road next Friday when they travel to Saint Anselm for a non conference game at 7 p.m.
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