KEENE, N.H. – After a back-and-forth game where Brianna Finke logged her first career hat trick, the Keene State College women's hockey team suffered a 4-3 overtime defeat to Plymouth State University for the Panthers' first Little East Conference win on the season.

Records

• Keene State: 5-8 (2-5-0 LEC)
• Plymouth State: 5-6-0 (1-6-0 LEC)

Postgame Interview (Coach Morgan)
Postgame Interview (Brianna Finke)

How it Happened


Neither team scored in the opening period of the contest, but the Panthers were on the attack early on, but the Owls' goaltender Ai Chung made seven saves over the first 3:10 to keep the contest scoreless early. 4:55 into the contest, the Owls had their first power play opportunity of the day, but the Panthers' goalie Teagan Wilson made a pair of saves over the two minutes to kill the penalty off. Both goalies made a pair of saves over the next four minutes but after it looked like the Panthers might take the lead, Lilli Warnock's shot rang off the pipe and out 11 minutes into the game as the score remained 0-0. PSU continued to apply the pressure the rest of the opening period, but the Owls defense held them off with Chung making four saves and the defense helping with five blocked shots, with Emily Edmunds and Tabby Jones having two apiece over the next three minutes. For the first power play opportunity of the day for the Panthers it only resulted in one shot that Chung saved as KSC easily killed the penalty off. Chung added on three more saves the rest of the period as the teams headed into the first intermission tied 0-0.
 
Finke opened the scoring in the contest 2:38 into the second period as she weaved through the Panthers' defense for her fifth goal of the season to put the Owls on the board. 6:14 into the second the Owls had their second power play opportunity of the day, but following three more saves from Wilson, the opportunity only lasted 57 seconds as the Owls were called for a penalty and it went to 4-on-4 for the next 1:03. The 4-on-4 and 57 seconds of PSU having an extra skater did not amount to much as the two shots on goal from PSU were saved by Chung and the game went back to even strength 9:11 into the second. PSU looked to tie the game 33 seconds later, but a shot hit the pipe for the second time on the day and the Owls held the lead. At the 11:34 minute mark in the second after already being down a skater, KSC was called for another penalty, sending the contest to 5-on-3 for the next 45 seconds and after calling their timeout it did not take long for the Panthers to draw even as Emily Gerrie scored the power play goal to tie the contest at 1-1 with 1:46 remaining on the second penalty for KSC. Luckily for the Owls the rest of the penalty was killed off without a shot on goal from PSU. Ellie Patrick helped Chung in goal for the Owls with a pair of blocked shots over the next few minutes, but the Panthers capitalized on their next power play opportunity later in the second with a power play goal from Jamie Steinmetz with less than a minute remaining in the period to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
 
Following a penalty in the final minute of the second, KSC started the third on a power play for 1:14, but their two shots on goal over the opportunity were saved by Wilson as the Owls remained down a goal for the moment. Wilson tacked on three more saves over the next minute before Chung made four saves herself on the other side of the ice shortly after. Eight minutes into the third the Panthers had an opportunity to add an insurance goal on a power play opportunity, but Chung made a pair of saves and Patrick blocked another shot to help kill off the penalty for KSC. 11:26 into the final period the Owls were able to draw even as Finke was taken down on a breakaway and she converted on the Owls' first penalty shot goal of the season to draw even with the Panthers. The contest did not stay tied for long as a minute and a half later KSC pulled ahead as Finke blew past the Panthers' defense again and scored her third goal of the day for the hat trick to put KSC ahead 3-2. Unfortunately for the owls it did not last long as the Panthers answered right back 28 seconds later as Katie Porrello scored for PSU to draw even again. Ava Iantosca tried to retake the lead for the Owls shortly after but her shot rank off the post and the Panthers' new goaltender Karlee Lehner saved the next two shots from KSC over the next two minutes. The rest of the third Chung made three more saves and KSC killed off a penalty in the final 2:20 as the contest headed to OT tied at 3-3.
 
Chung made the initial save in OT 15 seconds into the period as it looked like KSC would come away with the victory as the Owls applied the pressure and had four shots over the next minute, but Lehner saved the only one that reached the target. 1:34 into the overtime on the other end of the ice Grace Bonnell broke past the Owls' three skaters and found the back of the net to deliver the final blow as the Panthers secured their first conference win with the 4-3 overtime victory.
 
Inside the Crease

• Keene State falls to 2-3 in the all-time series against PSU, as the season series sits at 1-1.
• Finke's hat trick is the first by an Owl this season, and third in program history.
• KSC had the slight advantage on the draws, going 36-for-69 (52.2%) with Iantosca leading the way going 20-for-33 (60.1%).
• Chung made 36 saves in net for the Owls while Wilson made 18 over her 52:53 in goal and Lehner picked up the win making three saves over her 8:41 in goal.
• KSC had 18 blocked shots on defense with Patrick leading the way with five and Edmunds close behind with four, compared to eight from PSU as eight different skaters blocked a shot.
• KSC's 10 penalties were the most on the season and second-most in program history in a game.

 
Up Next
 
Both teams face off again on short rest as they meet on Saturday, January 10, at 1:30 PM at Keene Ice for the next contest.