Seahawks fall to Bison in OT

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Senior Emily Barden scored her first goal of the season 29 seconds into overtime to lift the Nichols College women's ice hockey team to a 3-2 win over Salve Regina University in non-conference action at Levy Rink Wednesday evening.

Junior Callie Jackson and freshman Mel McAleer also scored for the Bison, who snapped a 19-game winless streak against the Seahawks (2-11-0). They entered the contest 0-18-1 and had dropped every contest since earning a 4-4 tie back on February 11, 2012 at St. George's Rink in Middletown, R.I. Freshman Susanna Pearson scored both goals for the Seahawks. 

In OT, Nichols junior assistant captain MacKenzie Lyons played the puck off the boards to center ice, where Barden collected it and broke in alone on SRU junior goalie Jennifer O'Connell. Barden went to her backhand and appeared to lose the puck, but it trickled through the legs of O'Connell and over the goal line. The referees huddled briefly before signaling that a goal had been scored. 

McAleer staked the Bison (4-4-0) to a 1-0 lead with a power-play marker late in the first. She collected the puck at her own blue line, skated down the right wing, and ripped a shot high to the short side – her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Salve Regina tied the game at one with just three seconds remaining in the first period. Junior Taylor Chisholm was denied twice, but the second shot went behind NC junior goalie Cassandra Goyette, and Pearson knocked the puck into an empty net.

Jackson put the Bison ahead 2-1 at 5:13 of the third when she redirected a point shot from McAleer past O'Connell on the power play. The Seahawks pulled even when Pearson jammed the puck past Goyette from in close at 16:59.

Nichols outshot the Seahawks 14-8 in the third and finished the contest with a 35-30 edge. Goyette made 28 saves to earn her third win of the season while O'Connell fell to 2-11-0 with the loss. 

Salve Regina had a goal waived off in the third period after the referees determined Goyette lost her glove prior to the puck being put into the net.