NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Freshman forward Kahnekaró:roks McComber (Kahnewake, Quebec) scored her first collegiate goal with 1:47 left to break a 3-3 tie and lift the No. 3-ranked Norwich University women's ice hockey team to a thrilling 4-3 win over ninth-ranked Amherst on Sunday afternoon at Kreitzberg Arena.
McComber picked an opportune time to score her first career goal as the rookie scored just 20 seconds after Amherst (4-2-2, 3-0-1 NESCAC) had scored to tie the game at 3-3. She lunged at a loose puck on the far side of the crease to shove it past Amherst goalie Kerri Stuart. Freshman Adelle Murphy (Roseau, Minn.) and senior Tori Charron (Tecumseh, Ontario) also picked up assists on the goal.
Sophomore forward Rachel Bellio (Denver, Colo.) scored twice and Haley Gibson (Richmond, Ontario) scored as well as the Bellio/Gibson/Kaycie Anderson (Maple Plain, Minn.) combined to score Norwich's first three points.
After a scoreless first period, Bellio opened the scoring at the 2:42 mark of the second when she scored off an assist from Kayla Parsons (Fairbanks, Alaska) to put NU up 1-0.
Amherst knotted the game at 1-1 when Sara Culhane scored a power play goal off an assist from Erin Martin.
Norwich regained the lead late in the second with Bellio scoring again on a 5-on-3 power play by shoveling home a rebound off an initial shot from the point by Brittany Sharman (Ayer's Cliff, Quebec). Anderson also picked up an assist on the goal.
Amherst scored on a 5-on-3 of its own 47 seconds into the third period when Martin poked a puck just over the line off an initial shot by Tori Salmon.
Norwich regained the lead at the 8:22 mark of the third when Gibson planted herself at the top of the crease and scored on her backhand off assists from Bellio and Anderson to make it 3-2 Cadets.
However, Amherst countered at the 17:53 mark of the period when Salmon wristed a shot that NU starting goalie Taylor Fairchild (Overland Park, Kansas) got a glove on, but not enough to keep out of the net as the puck fluttered in to tie the game back up. Camille Herzog picked up the assist on the goal for the Lord Jeffs.
Fairchild made 15 saves for Norwich, while improving to 6-0-0 on the season. Stuart made 25 saves for Amherst.
Norwich (9-1-0, 6-0-0 ECAC East) closed the first half of the season on a nine-game winning streak after dropping its season opener to No. 1-ranked Plattsburgh State. The Cadets will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 5 when they travel across Lake Champlain to take on that same Cardinals' group that beat NU 6-0 to open the season at the East/West Hockey Classic.
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