BIDDEFORD, Maine – Sophomore
Morgan Slough (Waterville, Ohio) snapped a 1-1 tie just 1:08 into the third period as Plymouth State University rallied past the University of New England, 2-1, in its season opener at Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday evening.
After a scoreless first period, the Nor'easters took a 1-0 lead with 6:40 left in the middle stanza. The Panthers pulled even four minutes with a short-handed goal. Senior
Emma Lemery (Queensbury, N.Y.) forced a turnover at center ice, juked a defender, then beat the UNE goaltender to the stick side to tie the game.
Slough picked up a loose puck at the blue line and fired a wrist shot to the top-right corner just over a minute into the third period. Senior goaltender
Karlee Lehner (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) and the Panther defense made the lead stand as PSU earned its first-ever road win in the series.
Plymouth State opens the season 1-0-0, while UNE falls to 1-1-0.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, UNE 1
- Plymouth State (1-0-0)
- UNE (1-1-0)
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State opened the game with a flurry, putting multiple shots on net over the first five minutes.
- Play evened out over the remainder of the period, and the Nor'easters went on a late power play. Lehner made the necessary saves, while sophomore Claire Deis (Calgary, Alberta) blocked a shot to keep the game scoreless through the first intermission.
- After successfully killing off a penalty, the Panthers built heavy zone pressure midway through the second period. Sophomore Sofia Cuozzo (Guilford, Conn.) teed up a blast from the right circle that was stopped, and the Panthers had a goal waved off for a crease violation.
- UNE broke the scoreless tie late in the period when a centering feed from the end boards found an open skater in front to make it 1-0.
- Lemery blasted a one-timer in the high slot with five minutes remaining, but the UNE goaltender turned it aside.
- The Nor'easters went on a power play with three minutes left, but Lemery poked the puck loose near center ice and skated in on net. She cut past a closing defender before whipping a shot into the top-left corner to tie the game.
- Senior Lilli Warnock (Bernardsville, N.J.) got her stick on a pass in the neutral zone, and Slough grabbed the loose puck and fired a shot from the left circle into the top-right corner to give the Panthers the lead just over a minute into the third period.
- Lehner made four more saves to preserve the win.
By the Numbers:
- Lemery's goal was the second of her career.
- Slough, a transfer from Curry College, scored the game-winner in her Panther debut.
- Warnock registered an assist.
- Lehner finished with 23 saves.
- Plymouth State held a 32-24 advantage in shots.
- The Panthers held UNE scoreless on three power-play chances. PSU was 0-for-1 on the power play.
- The victory was PSU's first road win in the series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State opens Little East Conference (LEC) play on Friday (Nov. 6) with a trip to UMass Boston. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m.
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