Seahawks and Huskies battle to 2-2 draw

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team battled the University of Southern Maine to a 2-2 tie during ECAC Women's East action at St. George's Ice Rink on Friday night. The draw moves the Seahawks to 8-5-5 (4-4-3 ECAC) on the year, while the Huskies are now 5-9-4 (5-4-2 ECAC).

The Seahawks jumped on the board first with a power play goal by junior Sarah McCusker (Havertown, Pa.) which was set up by freshman Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.) and junior Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) at the 8:09 mark of the opening period.

Salve Regina held onto their one-goal lead until early in the second period when the Huskies tied the game on a short-handed marker by junior Kailey Bubier (Auburn, Maine) off a feed from senior Christen Hart (Saugus, Mass.).

The Seahawks reclaimed the lead with under 10 minutes remaining in the third period with their second power play goal of the contest. Porter delivered a beautiful pass to the far post, which was redirected past the Huskies' goalie by a sliding Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.), completing a pretty play to give Salve Regina a 2-1 advantage.

However, the Huskies refused to go away, tying the game with less than five minutes remaining in regulation on a goal by sophomore Erin Banfield (Montpelier, Vt.), sending the game into overtime.

The Seahawks nearly came away with the victory during the opening minutes of overtime when freshman Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) raced toward the net on a break away and beat the Huskies' goalie to the top shelf. However, the puck clanked off the post and away from the net, leaving the game still tied at 2-2.

Salve Regina outshot Southern Maine by a 4-1 margin in the overtime period as the two teams skated to a 2-2 draw.

Junior Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) made 24 saves on the night to improve to 3-1-2 on the year for Salve Regina, while freshman Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn.) stopped 30-of-32 shots in net for the Huskies, moving to 5-5-3 on the season.

Both teams return to conference action on Saturday, as the Huskies travel to face Holy Cross at 2 p.m., and the Seahawks host Plymouth State at 7 p.m.