SCHENECTADY, NY - After being down 2-0 with 3:16 left in regulation Friday night,
Riley Walsh decided it was time to play hero.
The sophomore proceeded to score two goals in the next 2:48 to tie the game up and send it to overtime, and capped off her first collegiate hat trick in style, scoring the game winner 3:49 into the extra period.
The hat trick is Union's first three-goal game in almost 10 years. The last time a Union women's hockey player put three pucks in the back of the net was Jessica Kaminsky on November 16th, 2013 at Yale.
Holy Cross opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the contest, as Lilly Feeney controlled a bouncing puck through the Union defensive slot and took advantage of the traffic in front of Union goalie
Monja Wagner, firing a quick wrister to give the visitors the 1-0 lead.
The Crusaders added to their lead less than five minutes later, cashing in on a 5-on-3 advantage. Holy Cross went two players up after
Celeste Beaudoin was called for a delay of game after back-to-back faceoff violations, and after taking control of the ensuing draw and moving the puck throughout their offensive zone, Reghan Chadwick scored her first collegiate goal to extend the lead to 2-0.
Union kept things close and had a number of good chances on net throughout the contest before Walsh broke through with her first goal.
With 3:45 on the clock, a faceoff in the offensive zone, and Union up a body with an empty net and fresh legs coming out of a timeout, the Garnet Chargers controlled in their offensive end. After a battle on the half-wall, Walsh pushed the puck up to the point to
Stephanie Bourque. Bourque moved it to
Maren Friday, who sent it to
Kendal Davidson at the top of the right circle. Davidson fired a high shot that Holy Cross goaltender Madison Beck couldn't control, and Walsh finished it off after the puck leaked through Beck.
Five of the same Garnet six were on the ice for the game-tying goal. Union held a two-player advantage with a power play and empty net, and after Holy Cross dumped it down to relieve the pressure, Union charged the other way. Friday retrieved the puck from behind her own net and carried it all the way into the Holy Cross corner, dishing it to Beaudoin to take behind the net. Union worked it all the way around for Davidson to fire a shot from almost an identical spot, but this time, her shot didn't make it through traffic.
Emily King was there however to pick up the loose puck, bring it behind the net, and send it to Walsh to go short side high to tie the game up.
Union spent much of the overtime period in their offensive zone, and it only made sense that Walsh finished off the game. Union pressured a trio of tired Holy Cross defenders, out on the ice during a long shift, and turned it into an advantage. After playing in a puck at the right point that went right to King, Friday broke to the middle of the ice as Walsh crashed the net. King found the wide open Friday, who fired a shot right off of Walsh, but the sophomore cleaned up the rebound with ease as King mockingly tossed hats off her head and her teammates flooded the ice.
Outside of the two Holy Cross goals off a bad break and the personnel disadvantage, Union otherwise controlled the game. After a back-and-forth first period, Union started to control the pace in the second period. The Garnet Chargers also outshot the Crusaders in the contest 30-24, and outshot them in each period individually except the overtime, when they tied 1-1. Each team went 1-for-3 on the power play. Wagner stopped 22 shots in the Union net to pick up her first collegiate victory.
Union (2-3) finds themselves in a similar spot as a week ago, looking to finish off a home series sweep on Saturday. The Crusaders and Garnet Chargers are set to face off again at Messa Rink at 6:00 PM.
