SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Penn State women's hockey team overcame another third-period deficit and freshman forward Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) netted the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat Syracuse, 4-3, at Tennity Ice Pavilion Friday evening.
Zanon's golden goal improved Penn State to 4-0-1 on the season with the same mark in CHA play. She finished the night with three points after adding two assists in the third period.
"Tonight was a total team effort," said head coach Jeff Kampersal. "Unselfish play, relentless effort, big saves and big goals. I am happy for them."
Freshman Maeve Connolly (West Roxbury, Mass.) scored her first career goal as a Nittany Lion in the opening frame to give Penn State an initial lead.
Junior Julie Gough (Newcastle, Ontario) and senior Natalie Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) both scored in the third period to erase a two-goal advantage for Syracuse (1-4-1, 1-2-1 CHA) after two periods.
Freshman Josie Bothun turned in another steady performance in goal with 26 saves to remain unbeaten in her first five career starts.
Juniors Amy Dobson (Hamilton, Ontario) and Mallory Uihlein (Edina, Minn.) and freshman Olivia Wallin (Oakville Ontario) recorded assists for Penn State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first period was evenly played as indicated by Syracuse's 11-10 lead in shots on goal, but the Nittany Lions were able to net the game's first goal thanks to Connolly.
Connolly wedged the puck free in Penn State's defensive zone to her line mate, Dobson, who carried it into the Orange's end down the left wing. She held the puck and found Connolly trailing down the center of the ice who buried the one-timer to give Penn State the 1-0 lead with 3:49 to play in the first period.
Syracuse countered in a big way with a three-goal second period to take a 3-1 lead into the second break. Abby Moloughney scored the first and third goals of the period with Jess DiGirolamo' score sandwiched in between. Moloughney's second score gave the Orange its 3-1 lead with just 1:57 left in the second.
Penn State pulled within one third thanks to Gough's first of the season less than a minute in. She scored on a rising wrist shot from the left circle after a nice feed from Heising to close the gap.
The Nittany Lions kept the pressure on midway through the third to tie the game. After PSU's first power play of the night, Wallin and Zanon connected on back-to-back passes and Heising scored on a nifty backhand shot just the left of the goal crease to tie the game with 10:31 remaining in the third.
Late in regulation, Heising was tripped up on a shorthanded breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot, but her backhand try glanced off the post and wide keeping the game knotted at three, where it eventually to overtime at the same score.
On the first shift in overtime, Zanon sprung free on a breakaway the length of the ice but Allison Small made great save for the Orange to deny Zanon the game winner.
But the freshman forward would not be denied on a second chance on the breakaway as she sprung free down the right wing and lifted the puck over Small's right shoulder to win the game for the Nittany Lions.
QUICK NOTES
- Penn State's overtime victory was its first win in the extra period since Oct. 21, 2017 at Merrimack (4-3, Katie Rankin).
- Zanon's three-point night was a season high for the freshman and her 12 shots on goal is tied for the most by a Nittany Lion in team history (Laura Bowman Jan. 28, 2017 vs. Mercyhurst and Tess Weaver Jan. 5, 2013 vs. Chatham.
NEXT UP
Penn State and Syracuse play again Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. to complete the initial phase of the CHA schedule for the 2020-21 season.