Worley scores first goal of season for Panthers

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The University of Massachusetts Boston scored four unanswered goals in the second period Friday night and the Beacons went on to a 4-1 victory over Plymouth State University in an ECAC Women's East conference ice hockey game at Hanaway Rink.

            Senior Kristen Smith (Beavercreek, Ohio) led the Beacons with a goal and an assist, setting up the first goal and scoring the eventual game-winner.  UMB scored all four goals in an 11-minute span, including one on the power play and one short-handed.  The Beacons evened their overall record at 6-6 and upped their conference mark to 3-5.

            Junior Tina Worley (Anchorage, Alaska) stopped the bleeding with her second goal of the season on a Panther power play, but that ended up as all of the scoring.  PSU fell to 0-13-1 overall and 0-8-1 in the ECAC East.

            UMass Boston had a 13-6 advantage in shots in the first period but had nothing to show for it as there was nothing but zeros on the scoresheet.  Senior Lauren Duran (Woburn, Mass.) broke the deadlock on a rebound less than two minutes into the second period, capitalizing on a PSU penalty with a power play goal for UMB, her fifth of the season.

            Smith tallied her sixth of the season at the 7:49 mark to put the visitors up 2-0, and senior Rachel Sousa (Woburn, Mass.) made it 3-0 with her seventh of the campaign at 9:23.  Senior Katie Kirwan (Centerville, Mass.) scored a short-handed goal at 12:39 to make it a four-goal game.

            Worley put the Panthers on the board at 13:29 of the middle frame, but neither team was able to score again over the final 26 minutes.  UMB finished with a 41-16 margin in shots on goal.

            Sophomore Jami Cudmore (Balgonie, Sask.) picked up her first victory in goal for the Beacons, making 15 saves, while PSU freshman Ali Ponte (Richmond Hill, Ont.) finished with 37 saves.

            PSU will be back on the ice Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. face-off at Hanaway Rink against Saint Anselm College.  UMass Boston moves on to play at the University of Southern Maine Saturday at 1:00 p.m. 

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