FINAL SCORE (OT): Vermont 3, No. 10 Northeastern 2
BOSTON –
Ève-Audrey Picard scored in overtime as the Vermont women's hockey team won in the extra session against a ranked foe for the second consecutive day, taking down No. 10 Northeastern 3-2 at Matthews Arena on Sunday afternoon.
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The result moves the Catamounts to 6-6-4 on the season (4-2-3 WHEA) and puts Northeastern at 11-6-3 (7-4-2 WHEA). UVM also took the regular season series (2-0-1) from the Huskies and has three ranked wins in a season for the first time in program history.
"This team deserves everything they get," said head coach
Jim Plumer. "They work so hard and are playing together in a way that is so much fun to be around. This was a team victory this weekend from
Melissa Black's outstanding goaltending to
Bella Webster getting a crucial goal."
Black made 21 saves for the Catamounts and has been the goalie of record in all three of Vermont's wins over ranked opponents this season.
UVM drew first blood courtesy of
Rachael Ade's second tally of the year. Off a short pass from
Victoria Andreakos, Ade sent a wrist shot through traffic that wound up in the back of the net at the 10:48 mark of the opening period.
The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Huskies responded at 15:43 via Matti Hartman. She collected the puck after a blocked shot and fired from the left circle to even the score at one-apiece.
Vermont then regained the lead midway through the second.
Allie Granato skated behind the net and left the puck for Webster in the right corner. Webster walked in, ultimately going top shelf for the goal. Granato notched her first collegiate point in the sequence, being credited an assist.
Black kept the score in favor of the Catamounts with one of several key stops on the day in the middle frame. With under 6:30 on the clock, Ainsley MacMillan sent a slap shot on goal from the right point. Black turned aside the attempt and covered up the loose puck with a pair of Huskies in the vicinity.
McKenna Brand evened things once again, this time at two-all, with a breakaway goal for the Huskies at 9:23 of the third period.
With the advent of overtime came heroics from Picard. After
Saana Valkama had her shot blocked in the right circle,
Alyssa Gorecki picked up the loose puck behind the net and tried to tuck it inside the left post. Picard then tapped it through Brittany Bugalski for her fifth goal of the season to send the Catamounts into a celebration.
UVM was called for just one penalty on the afternoon and was led on faceoffs by freshman
Ali O'Leary (12-for-16, 75 percent).
Bugalski tallied 23 stops for Northeastern in the setback.
The Catamounts now return home to Burlington and are back on the ice on Saturday (Dec. 10), playing host to Dartmouth at 2 p.m.
"I'm excited to see what we can accomplish the rest of the season," Plumer added.
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 women's hockey season
