Women’s Ice Hockey Overcomes Three Goal Deficit to Tie with Worcester State 4-4

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 13, 2021) – After surrendering three second period goals in a span of just under 11 minutes in the second period, the Western New England women's ice hockey team fought back scoring the game's next four goal before ending the overtime session in a 4-4 tie with the Worcester State University Lancers on Saturday night from the Olympia Ice Center. 

Records:

• Western New England: 3-1-1 (1-1 CCC)
• Worcester State: 2-2-1

How it Happened:

After the Lancers were able to outduel the Golden Bears 11-9 in shots in the first period, both teams came out with a quick pace to start the second period with Worcester State opening with the game's first goal. After a quick wrist shot was taken from the blueline by the Lancer's Kelly Robbins, Anya Laxton was able to find a loose puck near the goalmouth and send it past Rieley Jessie-Gerelli and into the net to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute and a half later, it was again Worcester State putting up a tally at Katie Puumala would score her first goal of the night. After a wrap-around the net chance Clare Conway would pick up a loose puck to send over to Puumala who wristed it into the goal to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead. WSU would tally on a powerplay chance from Puumala for her second of the game to extend Worcester State's 2-0 lead to a 3-0 lead. 

The Golden Bears would quickly take momentum from the Lancers when Sydney Conte was able to feed Emma Birmingham who poked the puck into the net to give WNE their first goal of the game. Maddy Tucker would find Erin McGlynn open in front of the net and McGlynn would shoot up and over the glove of Amber Lee and into the net to cut the deficit to one for the Golden Bears. 

Western New England would quickly find the tallying mark just 1:54 into the third period when Allison Walker scored her first goal of the season and first of her career.  Western New England would tally a powerplay chance seven minutes into the third period and would capitalize to erase their three-goal deficit and take their first lead of the game. Walker would find Alyssa Murphy on the back post and Murphy was able to slide the puck into the goal to give WNE the 4-3 lead. 

Worcester State would quickly answer to tie the game again when Puumala scored her third goal of the game. Western New England would finish the three periods with 33 shots, while Worcester State came away with 42 shots over the 60 minutes of play. The two teams would take to a five-minute overtime period where the Lancers would take seven out of the ten shots in the game, though neither team was able to find a goal, ending the game in a 4-4 tie. 

Inside the Crease:

• Allison Walker scored a goal and added an assist for WNE in the 4-4 tie with Worcester State. 
• The Golden Bears won 30 faceoffs in the game, nearly splitting half the wins with WSU, as the Lancers won 31 faceoffs. 
• Rieley Jessie-Gerelli made 45 saves on 49 shots on goal in the contest. Jessie-Gerelli now has made 150 saves on the season. 
• This was the first regular season meeting between the two schools, having both kicked off their inaugural seasons during the 2021-2022 campaign. 

Up Next on the Schedule: 

• Western New England travels to Endicott College on Saturday, November 20 at 3:00 from Raymond J. Borque Arena. 
• Worcester State hosts Salve Regina University on the same date from the Worcester Ice Center at 6:10 pm.