Potsdam, NY – Following a run of 12 straight victories, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team has struggled to solve the University of Vermont over the last two meetings, including Saturday afternoon’s 1-1 tie against the Catamounts in front of 276 fans at Cheel Arena.

The Golden Knights moved to 5-8-3 overall, extending their winless streak to three games, while Vermont moved to 1-6-8 on the season, marking their sixth tie in the past 10 contests. The two teams will meet again at 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoon at Cheel.

Both teams came out firing in the first period, as the teams combined for nine shots on goal in the first five minutes. Though the pace slowed, each team had significant chances on the other’s goal, but all were denied. Down a player on the power-play with approximately eight minutes remaining in the first period, Clarkson right wing Brittany Mulligan (London, ONT) intercepted a pass near the blue line and skated in unfettered, but was stuffed at the end of her breakaway run by Vermont goaltender Roxanne Douville. Less than a minute later, a shot was stopped by Clarkson netminder Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) while the Knights were still down a skater, and the puck bounded out to the left circle where a Vermont player stood alone with an open net. However, senior defender Courtney Olson (Brunswick, GA) sprawled out, taking the puck in the side and deflecting it around the goal to keep the game scoreless.

While Olson’s effort was appreciated, it would not be enough to keep the Catamounts scoreless in the first frame. With less than two minutes to go in the period, Vermont’s Emily Walsh took a shot that was stopped by Howe, and Walsh’s momentum took her behind the Clarkson net. The loose puck never was cleared, and Walsh returned to the play and rapped the puck out of the circle, fortuitously knocking it over Howe’s right shoulder and into the top of the net for an unassisted goal, her second of the season, at 18:33.

The second period was a sloppy one, as several players struggled to keep their footing on the newly glazed ice. Several Clarkson chances were started by Vermont’s mishandled passes, but the Knights were unable to cash in on any of those chances. Vermont took advantage of Clarkson’s inability to stay out of the penalty box, recording several shots on the Knights’ goal while enjoying six minutes with an extra skater. Despite the miscues, the Catamounts were unable to push their lead and the Knights could not record an equalizer for most of the period. Clarkson did finally break through late in the period, when Daris Tendler (Verwood, SASK) chipped the puck along the boards past her defender. She was able to chase the loose puck down behind the line near the boards, finding several Clarkson and Vermont skaters crashing the net. With a few ricochets, the puck found Katelyn Ptolemy (Dinsmore, SASK), who knocked it in for her first career goal with only 3.5 seconds remaining in the period. Gabrielle Kosziwka (Limehouse, ONT) also picked up an assist on the score.

In the third period, Clarkson owned the play, outshooting Vermont 10-1 in the first 14 minutes of the contest. The Knights’ best chance came with about nine minutes remaining, when Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT), standing at the bottom of the far circle, one-timed a pass from behind the net. However, the shot went directly into the chest of Douville, who held on and didn’t allow a second chance.

Clarkson appeared to break the 1-1 tie late in the first period when Danielle Skirrow (Trenton, ONT) batted the puck out of midair and into the top of the Vermont net, but after further review, the goal was nullified and the two teams would skate on into overtime.

In similar fashion to where the Knights held a 17-3 edge in shots during the third period, Clarkson controlled the contest in the five-minute overtime session, possessing a 5-1 edge in shots. However, neither team could pick up the game-winner.

Howe finished with 19 saves in 20 shots for Clarkson, while Douville made 42 saves on 43 shots. Clarkson was 0-for-3 on the power play, while Vermont went scoreless in six extra-skater chances.