FINAL SCORE (OT): Merrimack 2, Vermont 1
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Merrimack's Madison Morey scored just 54 seconds into overtime as Vermont fell 2-1 to the Warriors on Tuesday night in Hockey East action at Lawler Rink.
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The setback snaps UVM's five-game unbeaten streak and puts the Catamounts at 8-7-5 on the season, including a 4-3-3 mark against Hockey East foes. Merrimack is now 7-13-0 and 3-10-0 against conference opponents.
Melissa Black finished the night with 24 saves, countered by 25 stops for Merrimack's Samantha Ridgewell.
"This was a typical hard-fought Hockey East battle and we know this is what we are in for the rest of the way," said head coach
Jim Plumer. "We battled hard and simply have to find a way to put more pucks in the net."
The 6:46 mark of the opening period saw the Warriors strike first. Paige Voight collected a rebound in front of the net, dishing to her left across the crease for Annie Boeckers to send the puck home for her fifth goal. Jessica Kuhlman was given the secondary assist.
Midway through the second frame UVM evened the score at one-all.
Taylor Willard found
Mackenzie MacNeil in the right faceoff circle as the junior skated into the right corner. She then wristed the puck towards goal where
Ève-Audrey Picard redirected the feed past Ridgewell at 13:34, collecting her seventh goal of the year.
A particularly key defensive play by
Rachael Ade preserved the 1-1 score with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation. While Kuhlman was waiting for a pass near the right post, the puck came loose, ultimately trickling into the crease in the vicinity of her stick. Ade quickly turned to her right and broke up the opportunity.
UVM had one final chance in regulation when
Sarah Kelly put a one-timer on net in the waning seconds, but Ridgewell turned aside the attempt.
The game-winner for Merrimack culminated a sequence that began with an offensive zone faceoff won by Morey. The puck came back to the point, giving Meghan Martin the chance to fire through traffic. Black denied her, but a subsequent scramble in front of the net ended with the red light on after Morey buried the rebound. It was her first goal of the season.
After a 2-for-2 penalty killing night the Catamounts have now eliminated 31 consecutive opponent power plays.
Vermont continues conference play with a pair of contests this weekend (Jan. 7-8) against Maine at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Both games are scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 women's hockey season
