Worcester, MA- On Friday evening, the Worcester State Women's Ice Hockey team was back in action to take on #14 Utica in a home contest hoping to extend their three-game winning streak. The Lancers ultimately fell in overtime to the Pioneers 2-1 after a physical battle for control on the ice.
Within the game's first five minutes, Utica would draw a power play advantage that Worcester State's penalty kill neutralized with impressive saves by junior Amber Lee (Fairlawn, N.J.) to keep the game scoreless. Utica kept the pressure on the Lancer defense, but Lee stood firm in net, stopping a breakaway chance. A late surge by Worcester State came up short as the horn sounded on a scoreless first period. Lee recorded 12 saves alone at the end of the first period.
Exactly a minute into the second period graduate student Clare Conway (Billerica, Mass.) was able to find the back of the net to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead. At around the 16:20 mark of the second period, Worcester State had its first power play of the game but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Later in the period, Conway had a breakaway chance for her second goal of the game but was sent away empty handed by Utica goaltender Angela Hawthorne. Though both teams had multiple power play opportunities during the second period, the score remained 1-0 heading to the second intermission.
Four minutes into the third period Utica had a breakaway opportunity, but Lee made a clinch pad save to keep her shutout bid alive. With a little over ten minutes remaining, Utica's Abby Lillian scored a short-handed goal to knot the game up at 1-1. For the remainder of the period both teams tried to gain another goal, but the resolution of this game had to come in extra time. In the overtime period,Conway had a perfect breakaway opportunity, going one-on-one with the goalkeeper but her shot fell right into the pads to leave the game tied. Utica quickly came back down the other end and thought they had won the game with a quick chip in shot that was ultimately waved off by the officials. The Pioneers were quick to reclaim their lost goal though when Tess Barrett's shot found the back of the net with 2:34 remaining to win the game 2-1.
Worcester State (7-5) are back in action tomorrow, January 7, when they hit the road to play Southern Maine with puck drop at 1:00pm. Utica (9-1-1) will be back on the ice January 10 when they return home to compete against Oswego State with puck drop at 7:00.