CLINTON, NY – After taking an early lead on the road in the first round on the NCAA Tournament at Hamilton College, the Continentals tied the game and the teams played a scoreless second and third period before the hosts scored less than four minutes into the overtime period to escape with the win and advance to the next round of the tournament.
Hamilton (16-6-6) advances to play Adrian College in Michigan.
Nazareth (22-6-1) lost for the first time in 15 games after ending the season on a 12-game win streak and winning all three games in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Tournament.
The Golden Flyers struck early as graduate students Makenna Wiljanen and Ingrid Holstad connected for a goal on an early break out. Wiljanen took a pass from freshman Alexis Kindred from deep in the defensive zone and broke through the neutral zone and in of the goalie. A quick pass to Holstad rushing up the left side of the ice left an open side of the goal and the veteran player buried the shot for the 1-0 lead.
Hamilton answered later in the period to tie the score with a goal off the faceoff after a Nazareth penalty gave the Continentals a power play. Nazareth senior McKinley Hoff made a save on the first shot but the puck came loose and the rebound was tapped in to tie the game.
The teams played scoreless for the second and third periods despite Nazareth holding a commanding lead in shots on goal.
In the overtime period, Hamilton had pressure rebounded from an early rush for Nazareth and pounded the puck into the offensive zone. The Continentals found a loose puck behind the goal and fed a pass to the slot area and a quick shot found the back of the net to end the game.
Nazareth ends the season with 22 wins and a third consecutive UCHC Championship.
