Ryan's OT Goal Sends Lancers Past Rams to Sweep Season Series

Worcester, MA- As the regular season slowly rolls closer to a finish, the Worcester State Women's Ice Hockey team (9-9-1, 6-3-1) closes out their season series with Framingham State tonight and look to claim the sweep of the season in a Friday night meeting. In the last meeting with the Rams, Worcester State held off a late charge to claim the 3-2 victory on the home sheet. 

Final

Worcester State: 5

Framingham State: 4

How it Happened:

The Rams would get the first opportunity of the period off an early powerplay, but Worcester's powerkill proved successful to allow the Lancer's to build up their own attack. With their own powerplay chance in action, graduate student Sydney Vautour (Hamilton, MA) would launch the puck into the back of the net off a set play from juniors Cailey Ryan (Acton, MA) and Lea Gaspar (Chelmsford, MA). Worcester would Marshall their defense and look to hold off a counter from Framingham but with just two minutes left, a miscommunication from defenders leads to a Rams partial breakaway, where they netted a goal to tie it up to end the first.

First year Emily Johns (Clinton, MA) would get the second period started with a rocket of a shot with a top shelf goal in the opening minute of action off a leading pass from Ryan. Before much time had passed sophomore Abbey Millman (Georgetown, MA) received a pass from fellow sophomore Kaia Carlson (Denver, CO) as she cut across the crease to extend the Lancers lead to 3-1. Framingham would answer back halfway through the second to cut the lead back down to a single goal for Worcester. 

The Rams would need a big third period to catch up to the Lancers lead and luckily for them the Rams came out hot and 29 seconds into the period they would net one. Worcester would respond with a goal of their own scored by Johns who had a hot stick in tonight's matchup. Both goalies would try to gain momentum for their teams with big stops at both ends. The Rams would find the net in the last two minutes of the third period from a shot by Adrianna Rizzotto which was assisted by Lily Wilson. With just over two minutes to play, the Rams would find the needed tying goal off a late power play opportunity and their defense would lock it down to force overtime action in the Friday night showdown. Luckily for Worcester, it would take just over a minute into overtime before Ryan netted a goal of her own to claim the Worcester State victory.

Sophomore Lana Pacific (Marlborough, MA) would end the night with 27 saves.

What's Next:

Worcester State (10-9-1, 7-3-1) jumps right back into action tomorrow as they host Anna Maria at 7:15pm for their Melanoma and Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund Game in honor of Men's Ice Hockey student-athlete Evan Armit. Donations will be collected and Jersey's are available to bid on with proceeds going to the Armit Family and the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund.