CANTON, Mass. – Junior Robyn Grant (Airdrie, Alberta) scored a shorthanded goal, but Curry College rallied to top Plymouth State University, 2-1, in a non-conference women's ice hockey game at Canton Ice House on Friday night.
 
Grant got the scoring started late in the first period, but the Colonels answered back to knot the score less than two minutes later. The score remained deadlocked into the middle of the final stanza when the hosts capitalized on a power play to take the lead. PSU kept steady pressure on the Curry defense the rest of the way but was unable to net the equalizer.
 
Plymouth State slips to 0-3-0, while Curry improves to 2-0-0. The two teams wrap up the home-and-home series at Plymouth State's Hanaway Rink Saturday (Nov. 5) afternoon.
  
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 1, Curry 2
  • Plymouth State (0-3-0)
  • Curry (2-0-0)

How it Happened:

• Plymouth State got on the board with a shorthanded tally at the 17:03 mark. Junior Lauren McNeil (Ottawa, Ontario) flipped a clearing attempt off the boards and it snuck under the Curry defenseman at the blue line. Grant won the race to the loose puck and skated in alone, beating the Colonels' goaltender to the stick side for the 1-0 lead.
• The lead was short lived, though, as the hosts snuck a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle through traffic to the top left corner just 1:38 later.
• PSU nearly pulled ahead midway through the middle stanza when senior Sophie Streed (Surry, N.H.) played the puck to herself off the half wall before skating in on a 2-on-1 with graduate student Siri Brett (East Wenatchee, Wash.), but her shot was kicked away by the goalie.
• PSU had another golden chance in the waning seconds of the period when freshman Katie Porrello (Milford, Conn.) intercepted a Curry clear attempt in the offensive zone. She slipped a pass between two defenders to sophomore Emily DeSimone (Walpole, Mass.) at the nearside, who sent the puck through the crease to senior Meghan Hamilton (Walpole, Mass.), but somehow the Colonels' goaltender got a stick on it to keep the game tied.
• Curry took advantage of a power play midway through the third period to jump in front, 2-1, as a skater worked the puck free from goaltender Amelia Julian (Apple Valley, Minn.) and slipped it into the net.
• The hosts nearly made it a two-goal game with four minutes to play, but Julian laid out for a remarkable glove save to keep the margin at one.
• PSU kept steady zone pressure over much of the final three minutes and had a late power play with just 17.9 seconds remaining, but Curry won a faceoff in its defensive zone and Hamilton's last second shot in the slot was blocked.

By the Numbers:

• Grant picked up her first goal of the season and second of her career.
• McNeil had the assist on Grant's tally, her second of the year.
• Julian finished with 18 saves for the Panthers.
• Plymouth State owned a 28-20 advantage in shots, including a 21-10 edge over the final 40 minutes.
• Senior Addie Swanson (Eagle River, Alaska) dominated the faceoff dot, winning 13-of-15.
• This was the first meeting between the two programs.

  
Up Next:

• The two teams have a short turnaround. They complete the home-and-home series at Hanaway Rink tomorrow (Nov. 5) with puck drop set for 2:00 p.m.

 
 
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