BOSTON, Mass.- The William Smith College ice hockey team was edged by No. 10 UMass Boston 3-2 in overtime at the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink this afternoon. Kateri McClellan scored with 53 seconds left in overtime to lift the Beacons past the Herons.
William Smith (3-5-1) struck first at 17:30 of the first period when junior Krista Federow notched her first goal of the season. Sophomore Maura Mulligan forced a turnover in the neutral zone, and slid a pass to first-year Gina Scibetta. Scibetta broke into the attacking zone and snapped a shot from inside the left faceoff circle that Beacon goalie Rachel Myette turned aside. Federow, who was crashing the net, collected the rebound and flipped it over Myette’s left pad. Scibetta and Mulligan were credited with assists on the goal. The Herons controlled the opening 20 minutes, earning a 13-8 edge in shots on goal.
UMass Boston (8-2-0) tied the game 1:42 into the second period. Katie Jeter wristed a shot from the slot that snuck past Maggie Salmon’s glove. The unassisted goal was Jeter’s first goal of the season.
The Herons regained the one goal advantage with a power-play goal in the closing seconds of the second period. Sophomore Laura Rollins fired a shot from the point that trickled through Myette’s legs and into the back of the net. Kiley Fewster and Taylor Morash were credited with assists on the goal. Salmon was a big difference maker in goal for William Smith making nine stops in the period, with four coming on Beacon power plays.
UMass Boston tied the game at 2-2 with a power play goal of its own at 7:57 of the third period. Kaleigh Beauregard fired a one-timer from the point past Salmon. Kristen Embrey and Alli Bianchini were credited with assists on the game-tying goal.
Fewster had William Smith’s best scoring opportunity of the extra session. She broke into the attacking zone all alone and wristed a shot on goal but Myette was there to turn the shot aside.
Salmon, who entered the game with the nations tenth best save percentage, was strong once again in goal for the Herons. She made 35 stops, including 14 in third period. At the other end of the rink, Myette made several big stops to keep UMass Boston in the game, stopping 25 of the 27 shots she faced.
William Smith finished the game 1-4 with the extra attacker, while the Beacons were 1-6 on the power play.
The Herons will wrap up the 2016 portion of their schedule tomorrow when they take on Endicott in Beverly, Mass. UMass Boston will be back in action next Saturday, Dec. 10, when it travels to take on Connecticut College.
