BOSTON - Redshirt senior Kelly Wallace (Libertyville, Ill.) scored 2:54 into overtime to lift the Northeastern women's hockey team (10-12-2, 6-6-2 WHEA) to a 4-3 victory over Maine on Friday night at Matthews Arena.
Redshirt senior Brittany Esposito (Edmonton, Alberta) recorded her third straight multi-point effort with a goal and two assists, while freshman Heather Mottau (Milton, Mass.) notched a goal and two assists of her own as the Huskies skated to their third consecutive win.
The Huskies twice rallied from one-goal deficits in the third period, drawing even at 2-2 on a power-play goal by Mottau at 5:32, before tying it once again at 3-3 on a power-play tally by Esposito at 14:31. Wallace then won the game in the extra session after taking a feed from Esposito and rifling a wrister into the top right corner of the net.
Northeastern scored twice on the power play (2-for-7) and extended its unbeaten streak against Maine to 11 straight games (8-0-3).
Senior Maggie Brennolt (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.) opened the scoring at 7:19 of the second period, taking a feed from sophomore Paige Savage (Johns Creek, Ga.) and beating Maine goaltender Meghann Treacy through the five-hole from 20 feet out. The goal was Brennolt's first since the opening game of the season on Oct. 4 against Syracuse.
The Black Bears (3-15-5, 1-9-3 WHEA) struck back just over five minutes later on a 4-on-4 goal by Audra Richards. Brianne Kilgour started the play by winning an offensive zone faceoff to Brittany Huneke at the left point. Huneke quickly unleashed a shot through a screen that deflected off the stick of Richards and under the crossbar to make it 1-1.
The score remained tied into the third period until Maine went back on the offensive. After a giveaway in the Black Bears' zone, Kilgour picked up the puck and raced the other way in transition. Kilgour made a nice move to elude a defender at the NU blue line, before snapping a quick wrist-shot into the upper right corner of the net at the 1:49 mark.
Northeastern wasted little time in knotting the game at two-apiece. After a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, the Huskies power play produced for the third straight game when Mottau ripped a one-timer from the point through traffic and into the back of the net with 14:28 to play in the third.
The back-and-forth game continued when Hailey Browne shoveled home a rebound to put Maine back ahead, 3-2, with a power-play goal at the 9:47 mark.
But again Northeastern battled back. On yet another power-play opportunity, Esposito took a pass from Mottau at the top of the left circle and zipped a wrister inside the right post with 5:29 showing on the third period clock.
Wallace then gave the Huskies two big points in the Hockey East standings with her 11th goal of the season 2:54 into overtime. Mottau again initiated the play with a cross-ice feed to Esposito, who led Wallace into the Maine zone with speed. Wallace collected the disc and sniped the top right corner of the net, off the post and in, to give Northeastern its first home win since a 3-0 victory over New Hampshire on Nov. 3.
The Huskies and Black Bears will close out the season series on Saturday at Matthews Arena. Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m.
Notes
- Savage extended her point-streak to four straight games (1 g, 6 a).
- Wallace has 11 points in her last 11 games (6 g, 5 a).
- Wallace scored her second OT winner of the season (Nov. 29 at Dartmouth).
- Mottau recorded her second-career three-point game (Oct. 25 vs. Providence).
- Esposito has four goals and three assists in her last three games.
- The Huskies scored four goals for the second straight game; prior to the streak, Northeastern had not scored four in a game since Oct. 26, a span of 13 games.
- The Huskies wore special pink jerseys for their annual Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer game.