GORHAM, Maine -- Freshman Julia Pearl (Essex Jct., Vt.) scored a power-play at 7:27 of the third period to give the University of Southern Maine Huskies a 1-1 overtime tie with the Sacred Heart University Pioneers in a women's non-conference ice hockey game Tuesday afternoon at the USM Ice Arena.

            The tie leaves the Huskies with a 3-6-2 overall record.  The Division I independent Pioneers are now 7-11-1 overall.  The two teams will meet again Wednesday afternoon (3:00 p.m.) at the USM Ice Arena.

            Pearl was camped 10 feet out in front of Sacred Heart sophomore goalie Alexius Schutt (Elk River, Minn.) when the rebound of a shot by sophomore Shannon Cronin (Wakefield, Mass.) found its way to her stick.  Pearl slid a backhand shot past Schutt's outstretched leg for the equalizer.  The goal was Pearl's second of the season.

            Sacred Heart took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period when rookie Melissa Robbins (Nashua, N.H.) poked home a loose puck at the corner of the Huskies goal.  Senior Nicole Palazzo (Rocky Hill, Conn.) got the puck to the front of the net where a host of players from both sides took turns trying to advance the puck.  The puck squirted free to Robbins who slipped it past USM rookie goaltender Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.) for her team-leading ninth goal of the season.

            In overtime, both goaltenders came up with big stops to preserve the tie.  Bergstrom got her body in front of a shot from the left wing circle by rookie Meaghan Souza (Wilmington, Mass.) midway through the five-minute extra session.  Schutt made the save shortly thereafter on a shot through a screen from sophomore Brittany Soar (Boxborough, Mass.) that was labeled for the corner.  Bergstrom finished the game with 28 saves while Schutt stopped 23 shots.

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