Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore Dominique Thibault (L’Orignal, PQ/Montreal Axion) scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in overtime to give the eighth-ranked University of Connecticut women’s hockey team a 3-2 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in non-conference action at the Houston Field House.
The Huskies improve to 8-1-0 and extended their nation-best unbeaten streak to eight games with the win. The Engineers saw their six-game unbeaten streak snapped with the loss and are now 5-2-1 on the season.
Thibault, who also scored at 9:38 of the third period, gave visiting UConn the victory when she gained control of the puck just inside the near circle and maneuvered into the slot for a wrist shot past RPI goalie Ashley Mayr (Burnaby, BC/BC Breakers) at 1:46 of the extra session.
After a scoreless first period, which saw both teams post 11 shots, Rensselaer found the back of the net on the fourth goal of the season by junior Nicole McDonald (Ottawa, ON/Ottawa Raiders). Firing the puck from the middle of the far circle, McDonald’s shot richocheted off the stick of a goaltender and deflected over goalie Brittany Wilson’s shoulder at 8:23.
The Huskies wasted little time in scoring the equalizer as junior Nicole Tritter (Toronto, ON/Toronto Jr. Aeros) tallied her team-leading fifth goal of the season at 9:18. Off a pass from Thibault, defenseman Brianna Uliasz (Chalfont, PA/Taft School) took the initial shot at Mayr, which slid out to Tritter for the goal.
Thibault pushed the Huskies ahead in the third period when she intercepted the puck off the stick of an RPI defender for an unassisted short-handed tally, but the Engineers tied things up nearing the end of the period as sophomore Laura Gersten (Queensbury, NY/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) scored from the slot on the power play at 16:28 to set up the overtime drama.
RPI, which outshot the Huskies, 35-26 in the contest, saw Mayr stop 23 shots in the loss. Wilson finished with 33 saves in the victory, including 14 in the second.
Rensselaer returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Northeastern at 2pm at the Houston Field House. Connecticut will host Brown on Sunday at 1pm.
