SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – First-year Jill Willis notched her first collegiate goal and recorded a multi-point game with a goal and an assist in the Union College's women's hockey team's 4-3 overtime loss to Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon at Messa Rink.
Union (2-2) recieved goals from Willis, sophomore Maddie Leaney, and junior Stephanie Bourque. Willis earned her first collegiate point with an assist on Leaney's goal, before scoring her first collegiate tally in the second period. Bourque delivered the game tying goal in the third period, sending the game into overtime.
Despite being outshot 11-7 in the first period, the Garnet Chargers were the first to strike. Leaney opened the scoring six minutes into the game, after Willis passed the puck from the right side of the goal line to Bourque at the blue line on the left. Bourque fired a shot toward the left side of the net, where Leaney tipped it in for the early lead.
Union recorded four shots on goal following Leaney's goal to RIT's ten, but no additional goals were scored in the first period.
RIT responded in the second period, tying the game at 1-1 at the 11:50 mark during 4-on-4 play after both teams drew penalties. Kyla Bear carried the puck into the offensive zone and fired a shot from inside the right circle, which was blocked by a Union defender. The rebound bounced out to the left circle, in which Nicole Ness retrieved it and shot the puck into the left side of the net.
Union would quickly return to a two to one lead six minutes later. After a scrum in the corner, a joint effort by Amanda Quan and Maya Jones loosened the puck in the corner, leading to RIT unintentionally kicking the puck to Willis inside the right circle. Willis skated the puck to the slot and backhanded the puck top shelf into RIT's net.
RIT would squeak two more goals with minutes left into the second period, eventually taking a 3-2 lead heading into the third period. The second RIT goal came when Bailey Kehl shot the puck from the top of the right circle. The puck was blocked and came out to the right side of the crease where Kylie Aquaro skated in and shot the rebound into the net. The third goal for RIT came just 1:15 later when Bronwyn Khangsar fed the puck to the slot, enabling Emma Pickering to fire it into the left side of the net.
In the third period, Bourque lit the lamp at 2:51 in tying the game at three. A quick pass from Maren Friday to Danica Mark set up Mark to send the puck across the blue line to Bourque, who then shot the puck through the five-hole of RIT's goaltender, Sarah Coe.
Union's defensive game held strong for the remainder of the period, keeping the game tied at three. Goaltender Sophie Matsoukas came up with clutch saves in the closing seconds of the third, sending the game into overtime.
RIT sealed the game just 30 seconds into overtime. A pass from Pickering at the top of the left circle set up Addie Alvarez, who fired the puck into the top left corner.
The Garnet Chargers finished with 29 shots on net. Matsoukas made 38 saves on the night.
Women's Hockey returns to action next Friday when they host Penn State. Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm.
