Box Score Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, Norwich Sports Information
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Senior forward Tori Charron (Tecumseh, Ontario) scored 6:20 into overtime to lift the top-seeded Norwich University women's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over UMass-Boston on Saturday night at Kreitzberg Arena in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Tournament semifinal action.
Senior defenseman Kayla Parsons (Fairbanks, Alaska) sprung Charron on a breakaway with a perfect pass from her own blue line that allowed the Cadets' leading scorer in alone with UMass-Boston goalie Moe Bradley.
Charron skated in and deked on her forehand before rolling her wrists over and sliding the puck behind an outstretched Bradley on her backhand for her 25th goal of the season.
Norwich (24-3-0) now advances to their sixth straight ECAC East Tournament Championship game with the victory and will meet the winner of Castleton and Salve Regina in the other semifinal.
After a scoreless first period, Norwich took a 1-0 lead at the 8:01 mark of the second stanza when Charron scored her first of the night and 100th goal of her collegiate career spanning two seasons at Elmira and two at Norwich.
Charron collected a rebound off an initial shot from Parsons, circled behind the UMass-Boston net and slid the puck just over the line while Bradley was scrambling to recover from the initial shot. Freshman forward Adelle Murphy (Roseau, Minn.) picked up the secondary assist after winning the faceoff back to Parsons.
Despite scoring in the second period, UMass-Boston (12-11-4) carried the play through a majority of the period, outshooting Norwich 10-7 in the middle stanza after Norwich held a 10-1 advantage through the first 20 minutes.
UMass-Boston continued to apply pressure and the Beacons were finally rewarded at the 18:16 mark of the third period when Samantha Fallon beat Norwich junior goalie Taylor Fairchild (Overland Park, Kan.) with a quick shot along the ice that trickled through the Cadet goalie's pads for her team-leading 16th goal of the season. Courtney White picked up the assist after feeding the puck down to Fallon on the doorstep of the crease.
Norwich outshot UMass-Boston 28-14, including 4-0 in the overtime session. UMass-Boston went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Norwich was 0-for-1.
The win extended Norwich's program-best winning streak to 15 straight games. The previous high was 13 in the 2011-12 season.
Norwich will host the ECAC East Championship game next Saturday, March 8 at time to be determined against either Salve Regina or Castleton. The winner of the ECAC East Tournament receives an automatic bid into the eight-team NCAA Tournament. Norwich has made five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.
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