VERMONT STOPPED BY SYRACUSE, 4-3

Junior forward Amanda Pelkey scores goal and two assists for Catamounts

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Akane Hosoyamada scored her second goal of the game with eight seconds left in regulation to lift Syracuse to a 4-3 win Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

The Orange broke the Catamounts three-game streak of scoring the first goal just 45 seconds into the contest. Allie LaCombe collected a rebound in front of Vermont goaltender Roxanne Douville and slid a shot through traffic for her fifth goal of the season.

The Catamounts responded on the power play 5:44 into the second period. Brittany Zuback passed to Amanda Pelkey along the goal line and Pelkey fed a quick cross-crease pass to Victoria Andreakos who one-timed a low shot past Syracuse goaltender Jenesica Drinkwater for her fifth goal of the season.

A little over three minutes later the Orange regained the lead after a quirky bounce in the Vermont end. Brittney Krebs shot wide of the net and the puck deflected off the boards and back in front to Julie Knerr. Knerr's initial attempt was stopped by Douville but she picked up her own rebound and scored her third goal of the season.

9:22 into the third period the Orange extended its lead to two as Hosoyamada scored her first of the night on a great individual effort. She skated into the slot and beat Douville with a wicked wrist shot along the ice.

Just two minutes later Amanda Pelkey answered back. She blew by a Syracuse defender at the blue line then faked out another, before walking into the slot and beating Drinkwater for her team leading 14th goal of the season.

Pelkey's goal set the UVM record for career goals at 28, surpassing Erin Wente (2009-13). Her 14 goals in a single season tie Brittany Zuback's record, which she set last season.

With 2:17 left in regulation the Catamounts tied the game at three. Pelkey entered the zone and hit Andreakos with a cross-ice pass. Andreakos initial shot from the slot was stopped by Drinkwater but Dayna Colang crashed the net and put it home for her eighth goal of the season.

With 48 seconds left in regulation Vermont's Brittany Zuback was called for hooking, the first penalty called since the 3:51 mark of the second period. Hosoyamada converted a goalmouth scramble to win the game for the Orange with eight seconds left.

"It was a good back and forth battle today and Syracuse just made one more play than we did," said head coach Jim Plumer. "We've got to clean up our play in our own zone in order to have the kind of success we desire. We're anxious to get some things corrected and get back to it tomorrow."

Vermont closes out the two-game series with Syracuse tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com/tickets, or in person one hour before the game at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office in the front of Gutterson Fieldhouse.

On Sunday the Catamounts will host the annual Vermont Teddy Bear Toss, sponsored by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. We are encouraging fans to bring new or gently used teddy bears and other stuffed animals to toss onto the ice during the second intermission.

All teddy bears and stuffed animals will be donated to patients at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Starr Farm Nursing Home, and Burlington Health & Rehab by members of the Vermont men's and women's hockey teams later this winter.