Box Score (Courtesy of Plymouth State Sports Information)
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman Julia Pearl (Essex Jct., Vt.) scored the game-winning goal at 1:19 of overtime Friday evening as the University of Southern Maine rallied to defeat Plymouth State University, 4-3, in ECAC East women's ice hockey action at Hanaway Rink.
The Huskies also got two key goals from junior Kailey Bubier (Auburn, Maine), who scored a pair of game-tying markers in the final four minutes of regulation. USM improves to 4-7-2 overall and 4-2-1 in the ECAC East.
Freshman Kelsey Cosby (Walpole, Mass.) tallied a goal and an assist to lead the Panthers. Her goal put PSU ahead 3-2 with two and a half minutes left in regulation, but Bubier's second goal came with 49 seconds left on the third-period clock, setting up Pearl's game-winner. PSU was denied its first victory of the season as the Panthers dipped to 0-8-3 overall and 0-5-2 in conference play.
Senior Jaimie Camara (Portsmouth, R.I.) gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead four minutes into the first period with an unassisted, short-handed goal, capitalizing on a Husky turnover in front their own goal. Camara poked the loose puck under the goaltender for her second goal of the season.
USM senior Joanna Gaube (Woodstock, Conn.) evened the score with four minutes left in the opening frame. Classmate Jana Sacco (Niagara Falls, Ont.) put two shots on net from in close that were stopped, but Gaube knocked in the rebound of the second shot for her first goal of the season.
The Huskies out-shot the home team by a 14-3 count in the second period, but PSU tallied the only goal while also killing off five Husky power-play opportunities. Cosby and sophomore Alyssa Audet (Biddeford, Maine) worked a pretty 2-on-1 rush, with Cosby feeding a perfect centering pass from the left side and Audet finishing off the play at the right post for her first career goal.
Both teams had power-play opportunities in the third period but came up empty until the final four minutes. PSU out-shot the visitors 14-8 in the final frame, but the Huskies tied the game at 2-2 at the 16:04 mark with an extra skater, A shot by Pearl was deflected to Bubier in the left circle, and she rifled it into the top left side of the goal.
PSU regained the lead less than two minutes later. A shot from the point by sophomore Stephanie Newmark (Sydney, Australia) was deflected to Cosby near the left post, and she slid the puck under the goalie's stick to put the Panthers back in the lead, 3-2, with just 2:28 remaining.
The Panthers were less than a minute away from victory, but Bubier outmaneuvered the PSU defense and got a wrist shot off from the slot which snuck through traffic and into the goal, tying the game at 3-3 and forcing overtime.
A minute into the extra session, Pearl skated down the right side and snapped a backhander past the goalie for the game-winner.
Southern Maine finished with a 29-21 advantage shots on goal. Both goalies played well, with USM freshman Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.) earning the win with 18 saves and sophomore Ali Ponte (Richmond Hill, Ont.) suffering the tough-luck loss after making 25 stops.
The two teams will play the second half of the home-and-home weekend series on Saturday at the USM Ice Arena (4:00 p.m.).
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