Amy Jack

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University women’s hockey team upset the University of Findlay in overtime, 3-2, in Saturday’s College Hockey America semifinal. Sophomore Amy Jack tallied the game-winning goal 27 seconds into the extra period, to help the team advance to the championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Dwyer Arena. 

Niagara, seeded third in the tournament, came back from a 2-0 deficit to send the game into overtime and eventually defeat No. 2 Findlay. The win avenged Niagara’s 1-0 loss to Findlay in the 2003 CHA Championship semifinal when the seeds were flipped. 

Niagara freshman goaltender Allison Rutledge totaled 25 saves in the contest, including 14 in the second period. One of the two to beat the London, Ont., native was scored by Findlay freshman Denelle Maguet, who notched a power-play goal at 7:48 of the first period. 

The Oilers took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission and went up, 2-0, early in the second on a goal by CHA Player of the Year, junior Heidi Tallqvist. The Turku, Finland, native, tallied her second point of the night with her goal 3:20 into the period. Freshman Laura Monk was credited with the assist. 

Niagara senior co-captain Lindsay Vine put Niagara on the board with a power-play goal 5:02 later, bringing Niagara to within one. The goal marked the seventh power-play goal in the club’s last 12 opportunities.  

Niagara entered the second intermission down, 2-1, and with a record of 0-18-2 this season when trailing at the start of the third.  

A determined Niagara squad maintained its offensive pressure and at 8:02 freshman Liz Johnson beat Findlay sophomore goaltender Jessica Moffat to tie the game and eventually send it into overtime. 

After the 15-minute intermission, the Purple Eagles won the opening face-off and worked the puck into their offensive zone and in front of the crease, where Jack beat Moffat to give Niagara its first postseason win since March 8, 2002, when it defeated Quinnipiac, 8-1, in the ECAC quarterfinal. 

With the win, Niagara advances to the CHA Championship game Sunday against top-seeded and seventh-ranked Mercyhurst, which won the first semifinal, 4-0, against Wayne State.