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 For the second time this season, Sam Poyton scored the game-winning overtime goal to lead WSU past Mercyhurst |
Feb. 23, 2008
DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's hockey team rallied from a two goal third period deficit for a 3-2 overtime victory over #7 Mercyhurst in College Hockey America conference action Saturday afternoon at the City Sports Center. The win marked the first time in school history WSU (19-8-3, 7-2-1 CHA) has won the season series against MC (22-7-3, 7-2-1 CHA). The Warriors and Lakers are now tied atop the CHA standings with WSU holding the tiebreaker.
Junior Sam Poyton (Hamilton, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) once again was the hero scoring her nation's best 12th game-winning goal in overtime. At the 2:02 mark of the extra frame, junior Lindsay DiPietro (Manotick, Ont./Ottawa Lady Senators) passed the puck to sophomore Katrina Protapapas (Chatham, Ont./Bluewater Hawks) who shot it on goal. Mercyhurst goalie Laura Hosier made the save but could not gather the rebound as the puck trickled through traffic to the right side of the crease where Poyton was waiting to stuff it home earning her No. 1 star of the game honors. Ironically, Poyton scored the overtime game-winner in similar fashion when the two teams met on Feb. 8.
Junior Melissa Boal (Pakenham, Ont./Ottawa Raiders) scored the game-tying goal to force overtime while sophomore Chelsea Burnett (Ridgeway, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) added two helpers. Boal and DiPietro also increased their scoring streaks to 16 and 15 games respectively with a helper each.
Defensively, senior Valery Turcotte (Jonquiere, Quebec/Royal Metabetchouan) picked up her 14th win of the season with 31 saves while Hoiser stopped 22 shots in the losing effort.
Mercyhurst was led by Jesse Scanzano and Stephanie Jones who each scored a goal while Valerie Chouinard and Cassea Schols each recorded an assist.
Mercyhurst took advantage off a WSU penalty to jump to a 1-0 lead in the first period as Chouinard got the puck off a turnover at the blueline and fed Scanzano who skated in to beat Turcotte for the power-play marker.
The Lakers' power-play unit continued to hit on all cylinders at the 10:42 mark of the second period as Schols blasted a shot from the point which was skillfully redirected in mid-air by Jones into the back of the net to give MC a 2-0 lead.
Wayne State's offense awoke late in the third period as Burnett ignited a fast break passing the puck up to Boal who went on a 2-on-1 with Poyton. Boal then fed the puck over to Poyton who beat Hoiser to pull WSU within one goal, 2-1, at the 16:48 mark.
Approximately two minutes later, WSU went on the power play as Burnett passed the puck up to Poyton who in turn fed it to Boal. She then skated down the right side and beat Hoiser with a beautiful backhand winner to tie the score at 2-2.
Wayne State concludes the regular season with a two-game conference set against Niagara on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 29-Mar. 1) at 7:00 and 2:00 p.m. With two wins, the Warriors will finish in first place atop the CHA standings and lock up the No. 1 seed in the post-season tournament.
