Women’s Hockey Tripped Up in Overtime by UNE, 4-3

EAST BOSTON – Suffolk women's hockey could not hang onto a 3-1 lead late in the game as the University of New England scored three unanswered, two in the final six minutes of regulation and the game-winning in overtime, to defeat the Rams, 4-3, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | University of New England 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (16-4-0, 11-3-0 CCC) | University of New England (7-10-2, 7-6-2 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPPEND
The teams traded goals over the first 20 minutes to keep things even game after the first 20 minutes.  

Suffolk commanded the opening portion of the game, testing Delanie Corcoran, however, it was the Nor'Easters that got on the board first. With all the action surrounding Corcoran on the other end, Lily O'Neil was caught off guard when she faced her second shot of the night. That attempt, that came off of Piper Desorcie's stick, flew past the Suffolk's sophomore and gave UNE the go-ahead 5:18 into the action. 

The Rams got the tally back less than two minutes later when Sofia Scilipoti tipped in a wrap-around from Sam Molind. Shana Cote had a hand in the equalizing goal at the 7:17 mark.  

Suffolk would start the second period on the power play, but it was two seconds after the man-up advantage expired that the Rams grabbed the go-ahead. Maddy Burton put away the go-ahead goal 23 seconds into the middle period with help from Jesse Kennedy and Madison Duff 

Things stayed the same at the second intermission and shortly into the third the Rams pushed their lead to a pair of pucks. It was like déjà vu as Burton found the back of the next for the second time in the outing not long out of the locker room. The graduate student had a hand from Kennedy once again with Payton Dockus aiding in the strike 2:33 into the third period. 

Suffolk look to maintain that margin the rest of the way and as time ticked on it looked as though it would. UNE had other things in mind and Jenna Pych capitalized on a man-up opportunity with Kennedy in the box for interference to trim the gap back to one, 3-2, with 6:19 to go in the third.   

As the end of regulation loomed, the Nor'Easters pulled Corcoran from her position in the cage to get an added boost with an extra attacker. The gamble paid off as the visitors managed to figure out O'Neil once again this time thanks to Eliana Kane to tie things at 3-all with 19 seconds left on the clock.   

Neither team scored in those last second, which forced overtime. Suffolk was the first team to get a shot on frame in the extra session, but Corcoran continued to stand on her head to keep the Rams off the board. 

The same can't be said for O'Neil as the third shot from the Nor'Easter was a snipe from Meghan Hamilton that zoomed past Suffolk's sophomore to lift UNE to victory at the 4:46 minute mark of OT.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• O'Neil registered 23 saves in the setback. 
• Corcoran had a standout performance in net with 59 stops.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Burton led Suffolk's attack with two goals. 
• Kennedy recorded two assists. 
• Scilipoti scored one goal. 
• Cote, Duff and Molind each had one handout to their credit. 
• Suffolk outshot UNE, 62-27. 
• The Rams won the face-off battle, 39-31. 
• UNE went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the blue-and-gold did not score on its two man-up chances.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and UNE went into overtime for the second time in the all-time series. 
• The Rams fell to the Nor'Easters for the first time. 
• The blue-and-gold needed extra time to decide a winner for the third time this season, two of which were against UNE.  

POST-GAME PIC 
 

COMING UP
Suffolk closes the weekend at Nichols tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 4:40 p.m.