DULUTH, MN – Fifth-year senior
Allyson Simpson saved a tie from the clutches of defeat, converting a slapshot with 44 seconds remaining in regulation to give Colgate a 1-1 draw at No. 9/7 Minnesota Duluth.
"Overall, I thought we had a great response in today's game," Simpson said. "I'm really proud of how everyone battled today and of our dedication to doing the little things. It was our commitment to our style of game that gave us some really favorable chances leading up to that point, which made it super rewarding to capitalize when we did."
The Bulldogs were seconds away from the weekend sweep after scoring in the opening minutes of the second period. But the Raiders remained composed playing from behind, outshooting the home team 38-21 on the night, including a 19-5 margin in the third period alone.
The opening frame saw a six-shot advantage for Colgate but an even score after both teams leaned into the physicality allowed by the officiating staff.
First-year Kaia Malachino created a number of scoring chances for the Raiders early, but Minnesota Duluth's goalie made back-to-back saves on shots from Gwen Eichfeld and Madeline Palumbo.
After the home team scored in the second, Avery Pickering clanked the first of three Colgate shots off the pipe in an attempt to find the equalizer. The Raiders killed off a dangerous penalty at the 13:32 mark of the final period but faced another Bulldog power play when Kristýna Kaltounková was sent to the box with a minute remaining in regulation.
The Raiders did not falter when their backs were against the wall, instead leaning on their experienced veterans to even the score late. After pulling Kayle Osborne from goal to even the number of skaters on the ice, Elyssa Biederman and Danielle Serdachny fed Simpson in the right faceoff circle who sniped the game-tying goal.
The final seconds of overtime saw Kaltounková earn a one-on-one opportunity with Duluth's goalie, but her strike bounced off the right post.
UP NEXT
Colgate (13-2-1) continues its road trip with a visit to Syracuse, N.Y. for a 6 p.m. date with the Orange (3-12-2, 0-5-1 CHA) at the Tennity Ice Pavillion.
