POTSDAM, N.Y.- Junior forward Natalie Wasielewski (Carnegie, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguin Elite) scored two goals and freshman forward Emily DellaNeve (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) scored her first career goal as the SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team (5-7) defeated the University of New England (8-2-1) 4-3 on Friday afternoon.
Sophomore defenseman Ellie Cleary (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) also scored and senior goalie Kayla McCabe (Watertown, N.Y./Syracuse Nationals) made 27 saves.
Potsdam started the contest with a flurry, but Nor'Easters junior goalie Julia Benjamin (Tolland, Conn./Loomis Chaffee) kept them off the board until her teammates got their skates under them. The opening period moved quickly without any penalties or many stoppages of any kind. UNE was able to sustain good pressure late in the period, but McCabe made seven of her 13 saves in the final minutes to keep the game scoreless. Benjamin stopped nine shots during the period.
The second period opened with end-to-end rushes and chances for both teams. Penalties determined the play for much of the middle of the stanza. The Bears went on their first power play at 17:14 and made the of it. Cleary picked up a pass from junior defenseman Keira Thacker (Oakville, Ontario/Hamilton Hawks) at the left point, skated in and beat Benjamin with a wrist shot over her right shoulder at 15:22.
Senior forward Miranda Kolb (Watertown, N.Y./SUNY Cortland) started the play by digging the puck out of the corner. Just 1:54 later, Nor'Easter junior forward Avery Lutryzkowski (Winthrop, Maine/Saint Dominic Academy) took the puck the length of the ice and tied the game. Seconds later, the Bears were called for consecutive penalties and UNE went on a two-man advantage.
t 11:45, UNE sophomore forward Rutland, Vt./Vermont Shamrocks) knocked home a rebound to extend the lead to 2-1. At 3:57, junior forward Shannon Upton (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) picked off a clearing attempt and made it 3-1. Potsdam countered a final time in the period at 3:33 as Wasielewski tipped a shot from junior assistant captain Lucy Condon (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Ravens) past Benjamin. Shots were even at 13 in the period and the Nor'Easters took the 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
The Bears won the opening faceoff in the third and Wasielewski quickly tied the score 23 seconds in. The teams traded unsuccessful power plays in the middle of the period before DellaNeve finally broke the tie. She picked up the puck in the neutral zone, skated in on Benjamin and rifled it past her at 4:24. Cleary and senior assistant captain Delphine Léonard (Anjou, Quebec/Dawson College Prep) each assisted on the goal. Potsdam's defense slammed the door the rest of the way to close out the win.
Benjamin finished with 33 saves. UNE was 2-for-4 on the power play and the Bears were 1-for-3.
Potsdam is back in action at 3 p.m. tomorrow when the Bears host Franklin Pierce.