MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore Audrey Jackson (Shoreview, Minn.) found the back of the goal at 17:58 of the first overtime period to give the Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team a 3-2 win over Saint Michael's College, sending the Hawks to the New England Women's Hockey Alliance Semifinals.

The Hawks win the NEWHA First Round series, two games to one, and improve to 17-16-4 on the season. Saint Michael's College will see its season come to a close at 2-26-4. The second-seeded Hawks will host the third-seed, Stonehill College, on Wednesday, Mar. 1 from Sullivan Arena in the NEWHA Semifinals.

Junior Maddy McCaffery (Weymouth, Mass.), senior Gabrielle Huson (Edina, Minn.), and Jackson all netted one goal apiece in Sunday's contest. McCaffery added an assist to close the contest with a team-high two points.

Jackson forced a turnover in the Purple Knights end and drove to the slot where she would send a pass to junior Claire Weber (Marshfield, Mass.). Weber put a shot on the Saint Michael's netminder, Carissa Mudrak, that was turned aside. However, Jackson managed to bury the rebound chance with just 2:02 left in the overtime period, giving the Hawks a 3-2 win in the decisive third game of the NEWHA First Round series.

Earlier in the contest, Saint Michael's opened the scoring at 15:02 with a power play goal from Mikaela Langbacka. Langbacka walked out of the right corner to the top of the right circle and sent a wrist shot through traffic that snuck just inside the left post.

McCaffery got the Hawks on the scoreboard at 4:30 of the second period. Sophomore Heather McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.) put a shot on goal from the blue line which Mudrak would save, but McCaffery managed to clean up the rebound chance to knot the score at one.

Saint Michael's would regain the lead at 9:20 of the middle frame, 2-1. Jenna Harrison collected a loose puck behind the Hawks goal and slid a pass to the slot for Angelina Ruiz, who one-timed the feed into the right side of the goal.

The Hawks tied the score at two at 13:57 of the third period with a power play goal from Huson. McCaffery put a shot on goal which led to scramble in front where freshman Sydney Merritt (San Jose, Calif.) managed to slide a cross-crease pass to Huson for the equalizing goal.

Senior goaltender Allie Kelley (East Berne, N.Y.) stopped 25 of 27 shots on goal in the win for the Hawks while Mudrak stopped 58 of 61 shots on goal in the losing effort.

The Hawks netted one goal on two power play chances while the Purple Knights were one-for-three with the extra skater. Saint Anselm held a 43-39 edge in faceoff wins, led by McCaffery who won 21-of-29 draws.