ERIE, Pa. – Despite a game-tying, last-minute goal from
Jillian Skinner, the Mercyhurst women's ice hockey dropped a 2-1 overtime battle with conference opponent Robert Morris at Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday, Jan. 20.
The first two periods of the game indicated the contest was going to be a defensive battle. Despite a total of nine power plays combined, neither team could take advantage for the game's first goal. Robert Morris had five power-play chances with three shots on goal. Mercyhurst had four power play tries but could not find the net on its four shots on goal. Robert Morris had a slight lead in overall shots on goal 14-10 through 40 minutes.
The game carried on scoreless until there was eight minutes left in the third period. Robert Morris scored the first goal of the game off the stick of Kirsten Welsh. Her ninth goal of the season put RMU in the lead 1-0.
Mercyhurst had a golden chance off an offensive zone faceoff from
Taylor Accursi that rang off the crossbar and stayed out of the net earlier in the third period, but the Lakers finally tied the game with just under a minute remaining. After pulling goaltender
Jessica Convery, the Lakers took advantage of their extra skater with
Jillian Skinner firing a slap shot past Colonial's netminder Jessica Dodds. Assists were awarded to
Paige Horton and
Maggie Knott on the Lakers' goal that tied the score 1-1 with 59.8 remaining.
After the ensuing center ice face off, the Laker's
Sam Isbell was given a hooking penalty that put RMU on the power play in the waning seconds of the period. While the Colonial's did not score in that regulation time, the penalty did carry over to overtime.
Mercyhurst looked to have killed the power play after clearing the puck with just ten seconds remaining on the penalty. Dodds came out of her crease and played the puck forward to the speedy Amanda Pantaleo down the right wing, who dropped off a pass for Maeve Garvey. She wristed a shot through the legs of Convery for the game-winning goal. The goal was Garvey's seventh of the season. After the officials reviewed the play for offsides, they determined there was no such infraction and the golden goal stood for the Colonials.
Mercyhurst (8-16-1, 4-7) is now 0-2-1 in overtime games this season and drop to 0-16-1 when scoring less than three goals. The Lakers take on the Colonials tomorrow at Mercyhurst Ice Center to complete the season series. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
