BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Freshman Julia Pearl (Essex Jct., Vt.) scored twice in the third period as the University of Southern Maine Huskies overcame a two-deficit to forge a 3-3, overtime tie with the Bowdoin College Polar Bears in a non-conference women's ice hockey game Tuesday night at the Sidney Watson Arena.

            The tie leaves the Huskies with a 4-8-3 overall record.  The Polar Bears are unbeaten in their last three games (2-0-1) and are now 6-5-3. 

            The Polar Bears took a 3-1 lead early in the third period on a goal from sophomore Emily Tang (Cambridge, Mass.).  Pearl cut the deficit in half with a power-play goal, assisted by senior Jana Sacco (Niagara Falls, Ontario), at 6:49.

            With rookie netminder Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.) off in the final minute for the extra attacker, Pearl found the net with 28 seconds remaining to send the game into the five-minute sudden-death overtime.  The goal was Pearl's team-leading fifth of the season.  Senior Katie Paradis (Rochester, N.H.) earned the lone assist.

            Bowdoin had a 5-0 advantage in shots on goal in the extra session, but Bergstrom was equal to the task preserving the tie.

            The Huskies took a 1-0 lead in the opening period when Paradis scored her fourth goal of the season at 12:44.  Classmate Christen Hart (Saugus, Mass.) and junior Kailey Bubier (Auburn, Maine) drew the assists.

            Less than a minute later, Bowdoin got the equalizer as junior Kenzie Novak (St. Cloud, Minn.) scored her second marker of the season.  Just over a minute after Novak's goal, junior Kayte Holtz (New Berlin, Wis.) gave Bowdoin a 2-1 lead converting a feed from senior Alexandra Fahey (Bangor, Maine) into her eighth goal of the season.

            The teams played a scoreless second period that saw the Huskies out shoot the Polar Bears 13-6.  Bowdoin senior goalie Sage Santangelo (Laporte, Colo.) protected the Polar Bears' lead turning aside every shot she faced.

            Santangelo finished the game stopping 27 shots while Bergstrom had 25 saves.  Pearl's two goals paced the USM attack with Paradis adding a goal and an assist.  Novak and Holtz each had a goal and an assist for the Polar Bears.

            Southern Maine returns home for a pair of ECAC Women's East games this weekend.  USM hosts Saint Anselm College on Friday (4:00 p.m.) and the University of Massachusetts Boston on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).  Bowdoin travels to Middlebury College for a two-game series this weekend.

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