Utica 3, New England College 2 -
Box Score
Utica, N.Y. (10/28/2011) - Utica sophomore
Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) played a part in all three of the Pioneer goals as she led UC to a come-from-behind, 3-2, victory over visiting New England College Friday night. Myers' scored Utica's first goal of the game and added the game-winner with 1:07 left in regulation to lift the Pioneers to a season-opening victory. Senior goalie
Marissa Hotaling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added 35 saves in net for UC.
“I'm really proud of the resilience that our girls displayed tonight,” said 11th year Head Coach
Dave Clausen. “Myers came up big for us when we needed her to and Hotaling had another strong game in net. It was a great team effort tonight and that is always exciting to see - especially from a young team. This is a great way for us to start the season and I expect that this will give us some momentum headed into Saturday night's game against Castleton.”
The Pioneers (1-0), who have now won two consecutive season-openers,
trailed 2-1 headed into the third period of play until sophomore
Brittany DelleChiaie (Leominster, MA/The Winchendon School) forced home the game-tying goal on the door step to knot the score at 2-2 with just over 15 minutes left in regulation. Myers was credited with an assist on the goal to give her a total of three points for the fifth time in her short career.
Myers, who led Utica with 31 points last season, came through in the clutch when the Pioneers needed her to. Her second goal of the game, with just over one minute left in the contest, proved to be the game-winner. Hotaling was able to fend off several shots, as the Pilgrims pulled their goalie in the final minute, to seal the victory for Utica.
Myers put the Pioneers on top 1-0 just over a minute into the first period with a beautiful goal through the five-hole of Pilgrim goalie Teraysa White. The visitors responded almost immediately when Kaleigh Costello netted her first goal of the year, off an assist from Ashley Bonner, to tie the score up at 1-1 2:35 into the first period.
New England took the lead, 2-1, after scoring the only goal of the second period. Costello tipped home her second goal of the night after a shot from the point by Madeleine Gustafsson on the power-play. Alyssa Hoot started the play with a pass across the point to earn an assist.
It took over 16 minutes for the Pioneers to tie the game up when Dellechaie scored her first of the year at the 4:27 ledger of the third period.
White finished the evening with 26 saves in net for the Pilgrims. NEC outshot Utica 37-29 on the day, but Hotaling's excellent game in net proved to be the equalizer.
Utica returns home on Saturday when it takes on visiting Castleton State in a non-conference affair at 4 p.m. New England College remains on the road Saturday when it travels to Cortland for its second straight non conference game at 2 p.m.
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