Nor'easters, Seahawks settle for draw

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Shannon Smith (SR/Naperville, Ill.) scored with 4:24 remaining in the third period to rally the University of New England women's ice hockey team to a 2-2 overtime tie with Salve Regina University in New England Hockey Conference action Friday evening (Nov. 11) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

UNE now stands at 1-3-1 overall on the season and is 1-1-1 in NEHC play. The Seahawks are winless in five games (0-4-1) and 0-2-1 in conference contests.

With her team trailing 2-1 in the closing stages, Smith took advantage of a power-play situation, intercepting a Seahawk clearing attempt and sniping home a wrist shot from the high slot.

Madison McCann (FY/Westerly, R.I.) had given Salve a 2-1 lead at 6:57 of the third when she poked home a rebound from the left doorstep. Courtney Moulton (SR/Merrimack, N.H.) put the puck on-net to set-up the play.

The Seahawks' Amanda Cronin (SR/Medfield, Mass.) scored the lone goal of the first frame, converting a rebound from in front of the cage for her first marker of the season. Erika Martin (FY/Berkeley, Mass.) and Madison Labyak (SO/Hancock, Mich.) had assists.

The UNE offense was silent until late in the second period when Tatum Gietl (FY/Littleton, Colo.) registered her first collegiate goal. Annie Mullen (JR/Concord, N.H.) spotted Gietl open in the low slot, and the rookie one-timed the feed home with 0:24 remaining. Smith received credit for a secondary assist.

The Nor'easters outshot Salve Regina 6-1 in overtime but was unable to come up with the game-winner.

Caty Flagg (FY/Methuen, Mass.) had 27 saves in her first collegiate start for UNE, while Jennifer O'Connell (SO/Marstons Mills, Mass.) totaled 30 for the visitors.

Both teams return to the ice tomorrow for NEHC tilts. The Seahawks conclude their trip to Maine with a 1 p.m. game at the University of Southern Maine, and the Nor'easters host Manhattanville College at 4 p.m.