Willard Goal Gives Vermont 2-2 Tie At Robert Morris
Junior defenseman Taylor Willard nets game-tying goal for Catamounts

Junior defenseman Taylor Willard nets game-tying goal for Catamounts
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 7:48  RMU1-0 EV Brittany Howard (3)Jaycee Gebhard/5, Amber Rennie/5
1st 9:36  VER1-1 EV Kourtney Menches (1)Mackenzie MacNeil/2, Casey Leveillee/1
2nd 14:30  RMU2-1 EV Brittany Howard (4)Amber Rennie/6, Jaycee Gebhard/6
3rd 15:15  VER2-2 PP GT Taylor Willard (2)Alyssa Gorecki/2, Daria O'Neill/3
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd OT Final
Vermont  10102
Robert Morris  11002
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd OT SOG
Vermont  752115
Robert Morris  17126035
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Vermont (2-1-1)  1/4 5/10 0
Robert Morris (4-0-2)  0/5 4/8 0
Vermont Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 OT Saves
Melissa Black (T, 1-0-1)64:552 16116033
Empty Net0:050      
Robert Morris Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 OT Saves
Jessica Dodds (T, 1-0-2)64:542 651113
Empty Net0:060      

PITTSBURGH - Taylor Willard scored with 4:45 remaining in regulation to tie things up at two as the Vermont women's hockey team battled to a 2-2 tie with Robert Morris on Saturday at 84 Lumber Arena.

"Credit to Robert Morris for outplaying us for two periods," said head coach Jim Plumer. "We showed a lot of heart to play such a great third and OT. That's the kind of compete level we need to have consistent success."

The Catamounts are now 2-1-1 on the season, while RMU moves to 4-0-2 with the result.

RMU won the race to the scoreboard when Brittany Howard marked the scoresheet 7:48 into the first period. Howard initiated the sequence with a backhanded shot into traffic from the right circle, then jammed the puck home amid a scramble after collecting the rebound.

Kourtney Menches then tied the score at one-apiece at 9:36 of the opening stanza. Mackenzie MacNeil skated around a defender in the neutral zone and continued down the right wing, finding Menches on the doorstep to lift the puck over the right pad of Colonials goalie Jessica Dodds.

Robert Morris regained the lead in the late stages of the second period, grabbing a 2-1 advantage at 14:30 on Howard's second goal of the afternoon. She drove to goal skating around multiple Catamounts, then went top shelf for the goal.

After RMU's Natalie Marcuzzi was sent to the box for tripping, Willard evened the score once again. Willard received a pass at the right point, then skated into the right faceoff circle and sent a wrist shot past Dobbs to move the score to 2-2.

UVM had an offensive opportunity early in overtime beginning when Victoria Andreakos grabbed a loose puck in the slot and put a shot on goal, but Dobbs turned aside the attempt.

Sophomore Melissa Black posted 33 saves on the day, including 16 in the first period of play. UVM also finished the afternoon 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Catamounts take to the ice again on Friday, Oct. 21, beginning a home-and-home series with St. Lawrence at 7 p.m. in Canton, New York.