Potsdam, NY – With only 1:35 left in overtime, freshman Kelly Babstock completed a hat trick as Quinnipiac College outlasted the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team 3-2 in ECAC Hockey action Saturday afternoon in front of 222 fans at Cheel Arena.

The Golden Knights lost their fourth straight conference contest, falling to 6-12-3 overall and 3-5-1 in league games. Quinnipiac won its fifth league game in its last six outings, improving to 8-6-0 in ECAC Hockey and 15-7-1 overall.

Though the first period was evenly played, it was Clarkson that would go into the first intermission with a lead. Midway through the frame, junior Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) took a shot from the slot that was denied by Quinnipiac goaltender Victoria Vigilanti, but the puck bounced out to the periphery of the crease and senior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) was able to slap the puck in at 10:41 to give the Knights a 1-0 advantage. Junior Katelyn Ptolemy (Dinsmore, SASK) also was awarded an assist on the Clarkson score.

While Quinnipiac owned the second period, outshooting Clarkson 19-7 and tying the game up with a goal of its own, Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) was the standout player. Dahm made 18 saves, including several sprawling stops that kept the Knights in the contest. The Bobcats took a penalty just 16 seconds into the period, but the Knights skated down a player for nearly five of the next eight minutes in the frame. Dahm and the rest of the Clarkson penalty kill denied all of the Bobcats’ chances, maintaining the 1-0 advantage.

An impressive individual effort from ECAC Hockey’s overall leading scorer Kelly Babstock evened up the contest at the 9:39 mark of the second period. The freshman center wove through several Clarkson defenders at the right circle and finished off the nifty stick work by lifting the puck top shelf over Dahm for the unassisted marker.

Despite looking tired after a tough second period with several long shifts, Clarkson came out with renewed energy to begin the third stanza. That vigor was personified by freshman Vanessa Gagnon (St. Constant, QUE) when she scored at the 3:29 mark. Gagnon spun a backhanded shot through several bodies in front, sparking a celebration for her first career goal. Ptolemy picked up her second assist of the contest on the score.

With time dwindling, Quinnipiac was getting its chances, but again Dahm made some solid stops to preserve the Clarkson advantage. Unfortunately for the Knights, the pressure in front of the net on one occasion could not be calmed. Dahm made an initial shot with the blocker on her stick side, but the rebound was batted in by Babstock for her second goal of the contest, with assists going to Regan Boulton and Felica Vieweg.

The Bobcats completed their comeback in the five-minute extra session. Babstock scored her third goal of the game, and 20th of the season, when she picked up her own rebound off a shot and skated in front, slipping the puck underneath the legs of Dahm at 3:25 of overtime. The assists on the game-winner went to linemates Kate Wheeler and Erica Uden Johansson.

Dahm finished with 40 saves in the loss, and Vigilanti made 30 stops for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac owned a 43-32 advantage in shots. Following the string of penalties in the second period by the Knights, neither team was whistled for an infraction for the remainder of the game, as both went scoreless on the power play.