Buffalo, NY (2/21/15)- Head Coach Dave Clausen picked up his 200th career win as the Utica College women's hockey team topped host Buffalo State 3-2 in overtime Saturday afternoon in ECAC West action.
 
With the win, the Pioneers clinched the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs and will host a first round game next weekend against Buffalo State.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at "The Aud."
 
Clausen, who is the only coach in UC history, has collected all 200 wins with the Pioneers.  He now has an overall record of 200-141-26 in 14 seasons. 
 
Buffalo State got on the board at 12:53 of the first period as Brooke Krantz netted her fourth of the year, on the power-play.  Missy Mallon and Georgia Kleiner assisted on the play.  The Pioneers evened the scored three and a half minutes later as freshman Carlie Smith (Grimsby, Ontario/St. Catharine's Chaos) found the back of the net for her fourth of the year.  Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Team Detroit) and Emily Coope (Phoenix, AZ/Colorado Tigers) tallied helpers on the power-play goal.
 
Buffalo state took a 2-1 lead into the locker room for the final 20 minutes, however sophomore Victoria Pelton (Sterling Heights, MI/Belle Tire) scored her second goal of the year halfway through the third period to tie the game.  Seniors Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Lysander Lightning) and Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) assisted on the equalizer.
 
Then, with under 40 seconds remaining in overtime, sophomore Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) took a feed from Taylor Osowski (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects) and buried the game-winner. 
 
Sophomore Keira Goin (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Hotchkiss School) totaled 28 saves in net for her seventh win of the season, while her counterpart, Justine Silva had 21 saves in the loss.  Utica was 2-for-5 on the power-play, while the Bengals were held to just 1-for-8. 
 
Utica improves to 10-10-5 on the year and 7-7-4 in ECAC West play.  This marks the 13th time out of the program's 14-years history that the Pioneers have made the ECAC West Conference Tournament.  


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