University of St. Thomas Athletics
5-3-1
Bowdoin
5-1-2
Women's hockey opens 2015 with OT loss
1/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – The St. Thomas women's hockey team held a 3-2 lead late in the third period, but could not hold on, eventually falling 4-3 in overtime to Bowdoin College on Friday night at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
The Polar Bears scored with less than five minutes remaining to tie the game. Although the Tommies racked up five shots in a furious flurry during the final 30 seconds, they could not find the go-ahead goal and allowed the game-winner just seven seconds into overtime to suffer the loss. UST drops to 5-3-1 overall, while Bowdoin improves to 5-1-2.
St. Thomas opened the scoring in the first period when Hannah Burns scored her first goal of the year. The Tommies took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission, but would not hold the lead in the second period.
Bowdoin came back to score consecutive power play goals and grab a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, where the Tommies scored a pair of power play goals of their own to take a 3-2 lead. Erika Bjorkman and Tara Baago provided the goals for UST.
However, the Tommie women could not hold the lead over the last five minutes, as the Polar Bears scored with 4:45 remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Just seven seconds into the five-minute extra period, Bowdoin's Ariana Bourque scored to give her team the thrilling 4-3 win.
For the game, UST outshot Bowdoin 43-35, while each team scored a pair of power play goals, as the Tommies were 2-for-3 on the power play and the Polar Bears were 2-for-4. This power play success came after each team had been stingy on the power play through the first part of the season. UST came in allowing just two goals on 20 power plays, while Bowdoin had allowed one in 20 attempts.
Paige Kittelson suffered the loss for the Tommies and falls to 3-2-1 on the year, while Lan Crofton improves to 4-1-1.
UST will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when the Tommies take on Trinity (CT) at 2:00 p.m., at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
