PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore Juliet Rutigliano (Martinsville, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal 6:55 into the fourth overtime as top-seeded Plymouth State University held off third-seeded Rivier University, 2-1, in the championship game of the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women's Ice Hockey Tournament in front of a sellout crowd at Hanaway Rink on Friday night.
 
Officially the second-longest game in NCAA Division III women's hockey history, the back-and-forth battle lasted more than two full regulation games and spanned four hours and 33 minutes in real time.
 
Graduate student Lauren McNeil (Ottawa, Ontario) gave the Panthers a second-period lead, but the Raiders pulled even midway through the third.
 
Plymouth State outshot Rivier 33-13 over the first three overtime periods, but senior goaltender Rachel Hinkley (Swedesboro, N.J.) kept the Raiders in the game with a series of remarkable stops. Rutigliano finally ended it in the fourth overtime when she fired the puck into the slot from the corner, where it deflected off a skate and into the net – just 71 seconds shy of the longest game in Division III women's hockey history.
 
Sophomore Karlee Lehner (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) finished with 33 saves for the Panthers and was named Tournament Most Valuable Player after posting a 0.64 goals against average and .962 save percentage in PSU's two playoff wins.
 
Plymouth State was playing in its first-ever championship game, capping a historic season with the program's first title. The Panthers set several program records this season, including wins, winning percentage, shutouts, goals, assists and points, finishing the year with an 18-7-2 record. Rivier wrapped up its season at 15-11-1.
 
While there is no automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship Tournament this year, the Panthers hold out hope for a possible – though unlikely – at-large bid. The tournament bracket will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show, which airs live on NCAA.com on Sunday (Mar. 9) at 8:30 p.m.
 
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 2, Rivier 1 (4OT)
  • Plymouth State (18-7-2)
  • Rivier (15-11-1)

How it Happened:

• Lehner was tested five minutes in but kicked a shot from the blue line wide of the net. Plymouth State collected the loose puck, and junior Katie Porrello (Milford, Conn.) skated through the defense. However, her backhanded bid was stopped, and Rivier cleared the rebound away from danger.
• Two minutes later, the Raiders fired an open shot from the left circle, but Lehner made a nifty glove save.
• Senior Robyn Grant (Airdrie, Alberta) had a chance on a rebound off Porrello's shot from the right circle at the nine-minute mark, but Hinkley closed the five-hole to keep the game scoreless.
• Plymouth State controlled the play late in the opening period. Freshman Gracie Menicci (Pepperell, Mass.) whipped a wrist shot from the point through heavy traffic in front, but Hinkley stood tall, and the game remained scoreless heading into the first intermission.
• Rivier started the second period with a burst of energy. The Raiders nearly capitalized in the opening minute when a stretch pass led to a breakout chance, but the shot missed the mark. Less than a minute later, a defensive-zone turnover gave Rivier another golden opportunity, but Lehner denied the point-blank bid.
• Plymouth State successfully killed of the game's first penalty and used the momentum to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Emily Gerrie (Littleton, Colo.) fired a pass to classmate Laura Castronova (Hauppauge, N.Y.) in the slot for a one-timer that was initially kicked aside, but McNeil pounced on the rebound and buried it into the open net at the 6:38 mark.
• PSU kept the pressure on, forcing Hinkley into a pair of difficult saves to keep it a one-goal game. Porrello split a pair of defenders for a close-range bid with 6:19 left on the clock, and senior Emily Biggin (Didsbury, Alberta) rifled a shot from inside the left circle 20 seconds later.
• A perfect cross-ice feed left Gerrie with a one-timer destined for the near side, but the shot deflected off a defender's skate and wide of the goal, and PSU maintained its 1-0 lead heading to the final period.
• Despite being outplayed for much of the third period, the Raiders pulled even at the 10:57 mark. A shot from the bottom of the left circle ricocheted off the end boards to the right side, where a skater poked it in.
• Rivier nearly took the lead with five minutes remaining on a one-timer from the high slot, but Lehner made an outstanding blocker save, then gloved the rebound to send the game to overtime.
• The opening six minutes of overtime featured end-to-end action with both teams searching for the winner. Gerrie had a shot from the low slot in the early moments, while Lehner made a crucial glove save during a 2-on-1 midway through the period.
• PSU dominated possession late in overtime, generating several near misses, but Hinkley held firm, sending the game into a second overtime.
• Despite controlling play early in the second overtime, a blocked shot led to a Rivier breakaway four minutes in. Lehner held her ground to make another outstanding stop.
• Grant had a close-range chance two minutes later, then took a hack at the rebound, but the puck was kicked wide.
• Plymouth State kept the puck in the offensive zone for most of the next ten-plus minutes, but Rivier's defense stepped up with several blocked shots, pushing the game into a third overtime.
• The Raiders had a 3-on-1 break just over a minute into the sixth period of hockey, but Lehner was up to the challenge.
• Junior Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) skated down the left side and blasted a shot from the left dot that was destined for the top right corner four minutes in, but Hinkley got just enough of the puck to deflect it wide.
• Both teams killed off penalties midway through the session. Though Plymouth State maintained offensive pressure, the game extended into a fourth overtime.
• PSU finally broke through 6:35 into the fourth overtime. Rutigliano carried the puck through the neutral zone but was forced into the left corner. She fired a pass into the slot, looking for senior Emily DeSimone (Norwood, Mass.), who was crashing the net. The puck deflected off a defender and into the goal, securing the win.

By the Numbers:

• Rutigliano recorded two goals and an assist in the Panthers' two playoff games.
• Plymouth State held a decisive 68-33 advantage in shots on goal.
• Rivier went 0-for-2 on the power play, while the Panthers were scoreless on three chances.
• DeSimone won 23 of 38 faceoffs.
• Lehner made 32 saves to improve to 13-3-1 on the season. Hinkley stopped 66 shots for the Raiders, including 17 in the third overtime alone.
• The attendance of 840 easily shattered the previous record of 305, set on Feb. 17, 2018, during PSU's overtime win over UNE in the NEHC quarterfinals.
• PSU made its first-ever appearance in a conference championship game.
• Plymouth State is 4-9 all-time in the postseason.
• Rivier moves to 3-3 in postseason action. The Raiders also reached the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance (ECHA) championship game last winter.

 
 
 
 
 
  Read Full Article