SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - After sophomore Riley Walsh scored her first career hat trick, including the overtime winner, in the Union College women's hockey victory over Holy Cross on Friday night, first-year Maddie Leaney decided she wanted some of the same Saturday.
 
Leaney scored her first three collegiate goals to make it back-to-back nights with hat tricks for the Garnet Chargers, both including overtime game-winners to cap off those two magical games, and all-in-all a remarkable weekend, in Union's 4-3 win.
 
For the second straight night, Holy Cross opened the scoring. After the puck bounced through the left point, Reghan Chadwick beat first-year Kendal Davidson to the puck and turned it into a 2-on-1 breakaway. Chadwick carried and fired home her second goal in two days from the dot to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead five minutes and change into the game.
 
But tonight, instead of going into a two-goal hole, Union got it right back.
 
And boy- did they get it back in fashion.
 
Leaney carried the puck into the offensive zone on the left side, made a slick move to send her defender to the ice, and went forehand-backhand to slide it past Holy Cross goaltender Brooke Loranger to knot the game up at one nine minutes in.

Maddie making moves for her first collegiate goal?? https://t.co/l70DHzXbJb pic.twitter.com/RC42DY4gUg

— Union Women's Hockey (@UnionWHockey) October 7, 2023

 
Holy Cross regained the lead within the final two minutes of the period however. Lane Lewis won a loose puck battle below the Union goal line, and went to the front of the net, where she found the puck amongst a battle of bodies to score her first collegiate goal.
 
Union didn't get their second equalizer until almost 12 minutes into the second period, as last night's hero Walsh tied the game up at two. The Duxbury, Massachusetts native was one of five players to converge on the net as Davidson fired a shot on a Garnet Chargers power play, and after senior Emily King was denied on the rebound attempt, Walsh got just enough on the third ditch effort to flip it over Loranger and in.
 
Leaney was the beneficiary of junior Ashley Adams's hard work to get Union's first lead of the game. After Adams beat her defender to a loose puck battled from a Holy Cross corner to the back of the net, the defender checking Leaney in front had to get over to defend Adams, who dished it to Leaney to give Union the 3-2 lead.
 
Holy Cross knotted things back up less than three minutes into the third, as Lewis and Millie Sirum broke out on a 2-on-2. Lewis got to the Union net and dished it to Sirum, who powered home the goal through a trio of Union defenders.
 
Things remained knotted for the next 18:39 before Leaney called game. Junior Sophie Matsoukas made her final of her 29 saves in the contest, and the gracious rebound that went through the slot went to the stick of Leaney, who only had ice between her and Loranger. The first-year carried the puck up the ice and fired a forehand wrister to cap off her hat trick and complete the sweep.
 
After Union controlled much of the game in the weekend opener, the back-and-forth score in the finale was very indicative of the game. Holy Cross outshot Union 32-26 in the game, dominating the first and third periods, 13-7 and 9-2, while Union controlled the middle period, 16-9. The two teams each registered one shot in overtime. Union finished with a slight edge in the faceoff circle, 23-22, led by King and senior Celeste Beaudoin's nine wins apiece.
 
Union (3-3) concludes their home-opening four-game stand with a 3-1 record and 14 goals across their four games, including the sweep of Holy Cross on the backs of the back-to-back hat tricks from Walsh and Leaney. The Garnet Chargers hit the road for Rochester next weekend before they have ECAC Hockey play for the rest of the year, facing off with the Tigers on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop to open the weekend set is scheduled for 2:00 PM.