UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's hockey team outlasted Syracuse in a defensive struggle thanks to Natalie Heising's overtime goal to win 1-0 Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion.
Heising (Wayzata, Minn.) scored on a breakaway in the extra frame for the game's lone goal to secure a pair of important CHA points.
Goaltender Josie Bothun (Wyoming, Minn.) came up with several big stops for the Nittany Lions to earn her sixth-career shutout. She had 32 saves to earn her seventh win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Syracuse had the first flurry of shots on goal in the opening minutes, Penn State turned on the jets and generate almost all the scoring chances after that until the end of the period.
The Nittany Lions outshot the Orange 19-6 in the frame, but SU goaltender Allison Small had a great opening period by keeping PSU off the scoreboard and sending both team to the break scoreless.
That scoreless draw continued through the next 20 minutes despite a power-play try for both teams. Bothun was sharp in the second period, making 15 stops in the period and Arielle DeSmet entered the game for Small and kept the Nittany Lions off the board.
The scoring stalemate continued late into the third period, but the Orange had a golden opportunity on the power play with just under seven minutes remaining. However, Bothun and Penn State's defense saved and blocked a handful of good chances to keep the game scoreless, sending the game to overtime.
In OT, Bothun made a great save on a Syracuse breakaway to keep the game alive and ultimately it led to Penn State's victory.
After a turnover in the neutral zone, Zanon zipped a pass over to Heising on the blue line all alone for a one-on-one with DeSmet. She deked to the backhand and lifted the puck into the net for the game-winner.
GAME NOTES AND STATS
- Heising's goal was her 62nd career goal, moving her into sole possession of the program's all-time scoring record. She also extends her program record game-winning goal total to 13 goals.
- Bothun's sixth shutout puts her just one behind the program record held by three Nittany Lions (Chantal Burke, Hannah Ehresmann, Celine Whitlinger). She now has 23 career victories, also just one behind Whitlinger's program record of 24.
- The Nittany Lions are 3-2 in their last five games played at Syracuse.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions and Orange complete their series tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m.