Seahawks tie with Camels 1-1

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.) turned aside 45 shots to lead the Salve Regina University women's hockey team to a 1-1 tie at Connecticut College Sunday.

Marcik collected 15 saves in the third period and added eight in the extra session to lead the visitors.

Salve Regina University moved to 3-3-1 with the tie while the Camels remained undefeated with a record of 2-0-3.

Senior forward Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.) accounted for the Salve Regina University tally in the second period.  Lily Connolly (Duxbury, Mass.) scored the equalizer for Connecticut College with 23.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

Katherine Chester (Mendham, N.J.) finished with 20 saves in the contest for the Camels, who enjoyed a 46-to-21 advantage on the shot chart.

Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Connecticut College scored the equalizer with just 23.8 seconds remaining in regulation. Connolly potted her third goal of the season when she fired home the puck from just below the left circle with assists coming from Kate Kohl (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Ashley Anctil (Manchester, N.H.).

The Camels out-shot the visitors 8-to-2 in the extra session but the game ended in a draw.

Connecticut College was a perfect 4-for-4 on its penalty kill in the contest and is now a perfect 20-for-20 in shorthanded situations this season.

In the middle period, the Camels successfully skated off two of its four penalties. Justina Germano (Westwood, Mass.) and Jen Morgan (Orange, Conn.) did a nice job stepping into passing lanes and killing off the infractions.  With five seconds left on the second penalty and 8:43 remaining in the frame, Danielle Phalon (Stoneham, Mass.) tried to lift a wrist shot into the near post side of the goal but her shot sailed just wide of the goal and into the outer portion of the cage.

But Salve continued to pressure. Finally, with 1:04 remaining in the second, Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) made a nifty looking drop pass for Shepard on an odd women rush, and Shepard slipped one into the far post side of the goal to put the Seahawks on top 1-0.

The Camels controlled most of the first period of action. With 11:36 remaining in the first, Kaitlyn Paiva (Rehoboth, Mass.) assisted Anctil for a shot from the slot but Marcik was able to make the stick save at the near post side of the goal for the Seahawks.

Later on in the opening frame, the Camels nearly cashed in on their power play with 5:40 remaining. Sophomore Cassie Hunter (Gilford, N.H.) cycled the puck down low from the blue line to Paiva, who tried re-directing it with a shot out front but Marcik was able to come up with the puck for the visitors.

Meghan Lembo (Southington, Conn.) had another nice scoring bid when she tried to flip one in from her backhand with 3:45 to play but Marcik collected the save for the Seahawks.

Salve Regina did not have many chances in the first but the visitors nearly got on the board with 2:57 remaining. Junior forward Kimberly Spring (Kensington, Conn.) took a lead pass from the neutral zone and broke free in a one-on-one situation against Connecticut College sophomore net-minder Katherine Chester (Mendham, N.J.).  Spring tried to score from her backhand but Chester was able to meet her at the near post to make the nice stop for the hosts.

The two teams headed into the first intermission locked up in a scoreless tie.