Kelly Alyea ‘12 had two shots against Northeastern.
The Dutchwomen opened their season this past Saturday afternoon at Messa Rink against Northeastern. It was a very close battle all the way to the finish, where the Huskies prevailed 3-2 in overtime.
Northeastern was fresh off a tie at Syracuse the night before, and started off fast, applying consistent pressure in the Union zone in the first five minutes.
But the Huskies weren’t able to score and paid the price six minutes into the period when Emma Rambo ‘13 dug the puck out of the corner and found Callee Heywood ‘11 standing completely unguarded right beneath one of the face-off dots. Heywood coolly picked out the bottom corner beating Northeastern goaltender Florence Schelling, who had to be wondering where her defenders were at the time.
The goal clearly lifted the Dutchwomen, who began to take the game to the Huskies until they were pegged back when they were called for a tripping penalty with ten minutes left in the period. The visitors were unable to score on the power play, but shortly after both teams returned to full strength, Northeastern was able to pull the game back onto level terms, when Casie Fields’ shot hit the pad of Union goaltender Katie Gallagher ‘12, before the rebound was poked home by Siena Falino.
In the second period, it was again Falino who would put the visitors ahead after she collected a Claire Santostefano pass from the corner. The goal came against the run of play as Union had the momentum after killing a five-on-three. However, it would only take seven seconds for the Dutchwomen to even the score, as freshman Elsa Bruestle opened her account by ripping a shot past Schelling, creating a bright start to her Union career.
In the third, it was the Dutchwomen who looked more to have the upper-hand. As is the trade-mark of Union’s women’s hockey team, they out hustled Northeastern in the third period, who looked like playing the previous night in Syracuse was finally beginning to catch up. However, for all their hard work and pressure, the home team was still unable to finish off the dogged Northeastern team.
Junior Lauren Cromartie moves up the ice.
While overtime might have looked like the extra five minutes the Dutchwomen needed to end the game, it was the Huskies who would have the last say. The game-winner was put in by Brittany Esposito, who knocked the puck into the back of the Union net after a scramble in front. It was not the prettiest goal in the world but they all count the same.
The Dutchwomen can take a lot of positives away from this game. They certainly looked a lot stronger and more resolute then a year ago, and they gave the very tough Northeastern a game that on a different day, they might have won.
Union will take the ice on Saturday to play Boston University, the defending Hockey East champions. The puck will drop at 2 p.m.
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