Worcester, MA - The No. 14 Utica University women's hockey team beat Worcester State 2-1 in overtime on Friday night. With the win, Utica extended its winning streak to eight straight games. 
 
The Pioneers created opportunities early as Erica Sheaffer (New Hartford, NY/Wilkes University) and Hailey Modlin (Phoenix, AZ/Boston Shamrocks) fired shots on goal within the first two minutes. Utica outshot Worcester and was in the attacking zone for the majority of the period yet could not break through. The period ended 0-0 and Utica looked to keep its aggressive play style going into the second period.
 
Worcester put the pressure on early as Katie Puumala fired a shot on goal yet was denied by Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer). The Lancers were able to keep the puck in the attacking zone and Clare Conway found the back of the net 59 seconds into the period for a 1-0 edge. There were four power plays in the period and the Lancers drew three of them, yet the Utica defense was able to deny Worcester of a shorthanded goal to keep the game at 1-0 entering the final period of play.
 
The teams exchanged shots for the first few minutes of the frame before Utica earned a power play at the 4:50 mark of the period. The Lancers were able to keep the Pioneers from scoring on the power play. However, at the 9:46 mark of the period, Abby Lillis (West Seneca, NY/Buffalo Bisons) was able to knot the game at 1-1 off of a beautiful short handed goal assisted by Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School). The game would remain tied and head to overtime.
 
The Pioneers outshot the Lancers six to one in overtime and Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) delivered the game winning goal at the 2:26 mark of the extra period. The goal was assisted by Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) and Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's).
 
Utica outshot Worcester 42-17 and won 42 faceoffs compared to 19. Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) continued her wonderful season in net and had sixteen saves and just one goal allowed. Her impressive performance moves her to 7-1-1 in net this season. Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) led the team with two points while Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel), Abby Lillis (West Seneca, NY/Buffalo Bisons), and Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) each recorded one point. Sloan has now recorded at least one point in ten of the team's eleven games this season. Santullo and Sloan have each recorded at least fifteen points this season and have been a dynamic duo for the Pioneers this season. 
 
No. 14 Utica (9-1-1, 7-0-1) will return to the ice at 7 p.m. on Tuesday when the team hosts No. 15 Oswego State at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.