MANCHESTER, N.H. – Freshman Alexandra Starzyk (Enfield, Conn.) scored 29 seconds into the extra frame as the Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team took down Sacred Heart University, 4-3, in overtime, Saturday afternoon in non-conference women's hockey action.
Starzyk picked up the rebound off an Alex Kazmer (Crystal Lake, Ill.) saved shot as she was dangling outside the crease and she sent the puck top-shelf on Alexius Schutt. Sophomore Sarah Geisinger (Willoughby, Ohio) initiated the play with a backhand shot that was saved by Schutt, but left the loose puck for Kazmer.
Starzyk is now responsible for back-to-back game-winning goals for Saint Anselm, who improves to 2-0 on the season, while Sacred Heart opens at 0-1.
The Hawks began the scoring at 8:59 when sophomore Halle Kent (Lake Placid, N.Y.) sent a pass down the left side to senior Courtney Winters (Swampscott, Mass.) at the blue line. Winters sent a quick pass to Kazmer, who deked a Sacred Heart defender and backhanded a shot between the goalie and the near post, giving Saint Anselm the 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers had the answer at 19:15 of the first as they netted the 1-1 tally while skating down a player. Casey Stathopoulos crossed the puck to Melissa Robbins, who one-timed it into the back of the net.
Saint Anselm then answered that goal 34 seconds later as senior Jacqueline Bouchie (Belmont, Mass.) took a slapshot that ricocheted off the boards, behind the net and onto the stick of junior Tiffany Herron (Clinton Township, Mich.). Herron slipped the puck over to junior Sabrina Iannetti (Lynn, Mass.), in the slot, and she slapped it in for the go-ahead goal.
At 12:14 of the middle period, Robbins struck on a Pioneer power play, evening the score at two apiece. Sara Hanna and Hanna Skelley were each credited with assists on the play.
The Hawks wouldn't head into the break with a tie, however, as Herron found the back of the net with 37 seconds left in the stanza. Iannetti slid the puck to Herron from the slot and she buried it past Schutt at the left post.
Robbins struck for the hat trick 7:29 into the third as she skated down the side and shot the puck past Lindsey Brown (Mounds View, Minn.), scoring her second short-handed goal of the night.
The game remained tied at three as regulation expired and both teams missed a pair of power-play opportunities in the second half of the period.
Brown made 13 saves in the first 47:29 in net, while Schutt stopped 59 of 63 shots on goal over four periods. Freshman Hannah Synnott (Montclair, N.J.) made her collegiate debut entering the game at 7:29 of the third, earning her first career win, despite not seeing a shot.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, Nov. 9 as they travel to Neumann University for a pair of games. Saturday night's contest will be played at 7:30 p.m. Stay up-to date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by liking us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/STAHawks) and following us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/STAHawks).
