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 Tiffany Thompson made 19 saves in a 2-1 Warrior win on Saturday. |
Feb. 18, 2006
DETROIT, Mich. - Wayne State and Niagara combined for three power-play goals, with the Warriors edging the Purple Eagles, 2-1, in women's hockey action at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum on Saturday.
Following a scoreless first period that saw WSU outshoot Niagara, 7-5, the Purple Eagles netted a power-play goal just 12 seconds into the second period to take a 1-0 lead. Chelsea Donovan centered the puck in to Meagan Smith, who sent a shot in towards Warrior goaltender Tiffany Thompson (Dryden, Ont./Thunder Bay Queens). Thompson made a partial block of the shot, but the puck managed to trickle in behind her, giving Smith her seventh goal of the season.
Wayne State tied the game on a 5-on-3 advantage at 8:47, when Melissa Boal (Pakenham, Ont./Ottawa Raiders) passed it into the crease, creating a scramble in front of NU's Allison Rutledge. Lindsay DiPietro (Manotick, Ont./Ottawa Lady Senators) and Laura Monk (Mississauga, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) battled with the Niagara defenders for the puck, with Monk getting the last touch before it went in the net to tally her third goal of the season. Boal and DiPietro were credited with assists on the play.
With the goal, WSU extended its streak of games with a power-play marker to seven.
Sam Poyton (Hamilton, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) scored the game-winner on a power play at 4:45 in the third period, her 23rd goal of the season. DiPietro found Boal down low with a pass, and Boal fired a pass across Rutledge's crease to Poyton, who was positioned perfectly on the post.
Poyton has an eight-game goal-scoring streak and six game-winning goals this season, both WSU single-season records. Just 30 games into her WSU career, Poyton tied the all-time records for power-play goals (8) and game-winning goals.
Tiffany Thompson came up with big saves on Niagara's power plays late in the game, as she helped kill a 5-on-3 situation halfway through the third period. Four of Niagara's eight third-period shots, and eight of its 20 overall, came on the power play.
With 57 seconds left, Amanda Hungle had a chance at an open-net goal, as Rutledge had been pulled for an extra skater, but was tripped at center ice. The penalty effectively ended the Purple Eagles' hopes for a comeback, and Wayne State escaped with a series sweep of its conference foe.
Thompson had 19 saves in the contest for her third win of the season. Rutledge finished with 17 saves.
The Warriors return to City Sports Center Arena next weekend, Feb. 24-25, for a series against the Robert Morris Colonials.
