Final Score: Vermont 5, Syracuse 4 | Box Score
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Amanda Drobot scored her first career game-winning goal with 9:02 left in the third period as the Vermont women's hockey team swept its weekend series against Syracuse in another high-scoring non-conference affair at the Tennity Ice Pavilion.
 
Amanda Pelkey opened the scoring for the Catamounts 3:50 into the first period. She stretched her point streak to five straight games with an unassisted tally as Vermont scored first for the sixth time in its last seven games.
 
With the goal Pelkey passed Allie Knowles (1995-99) as Vermont's all-time leading scorer with 88 career points. Pelkey is now the Catamounts all-time leader in points and assists. Knowles still holds the goals record with 46.
 
Pelkey added another goal to give the Catamounts a two-goal lead at 7:53 of the first period. Dayna Colang and Molly Depew earned assists on the power play tally.
 
The Orange cut the Catamounts lead in half 1:20 later as Melissa Piacentini picked up her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Stephanie Grossi and Nicole Renault assisted on Piacentini's even strength goal.
 
Remarkably the Catamounts struck back two seconds later. Brittany Zuback extended her program record goal-scoring streak to seven games with her 10^th goal of the season. Sarah Kelly and Bridget Baker assisted on Zuback's goal at the 8:45 mark of the first period.
 
Julie Knerr cut the Vermont lead to one once again with a power play tally with 1:32 left in the first period. Piacentini earned an assist on Syracuse's fourth power play goal of the weekend series. Before this weekend Vermont had given up just three power play goals in their first 11 games.
 
Following the first period Syracuse pulled goaltender Abbey Miller from the game. She made five saves in the opening 20 minutes. Jenn Gilligan, Friday night's starter, replaced Miller.
 
The teams played their first scoreless period of hockey during the weekend series in the second frame. The Catamounts outshot the Orange 14-13 in the period.
 
The Orange scored two early goals in the third period to take their first lead of the afternoon. Jessica Sibley scored 2:36 into the period and Renault added another 61 seconds later. Piacentini picked up her third point of the afternoon with an assist on Renault's fourth goal of the year.
 
Casey Leveillee erased the deficit with her first goal of the season, shorthanded, with 10:41 left in regulation. Delia McNally earned an assist on what was Vermont's first shorthanded goal of the season.
 
Just over a minute later Drobot scored the go-ahead goal for the Catamounts. Baker and Kelly assisted on Drobot's first career goal. It was Vermont's fourth third period goal of the weekend series. This season Vermont has outscored its opponents 22-10 in the third.
 
Molly Depew, who was making her third career start, made nine third period saves to collect her second career win. In total Depew made a career high 33 saves for Vermont. In a relief role Gilligan made 18 saves for the Orange.
 
"It was another resilient effort by our group today and I'm proud that we can stay focused in the face of obstacles and momentum swings," said head coach Jim Plumer. "Molly Depew stood tall in net and we converted at key times. It's hard to sweep any team and Syracuse is a gritty group."
 
The Catamounts wrap up their six-game road trip next weekend as they travel to Boston to face Northeastern in a two-game Hockey East series. Vermont will face the Huskies at 2 p.m. next Saturday and Sunday.
 
NOTES: Vermont has now won a program record seven non-conference games … The Catamounts are 3-1-0 against CHA teams this season … Amanda Pelkey has now scored 43 career goals at Vermont, she needs three more to tie Allie Knowles' record … Pelkey has seven points in three games since returning from the 2014 Four Nations Cup … Amanda Drobot now has points in five consecutive games … 11 goals in back-to-back games are the most Vermont has scored since putting up 13 against Sacred Heart in back-to-back wins to open the 2007-08 campaign.