GENEVA, N.Y.-The William Smith College ice hockey team scored twice in the third period to tie Neumann 3-3 in an ECAC West Conference game at The Cooler this afternoon. Sophomore Maura Mulligan scored a power-play goal with 68 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
 
With 1:26 remaining in regulation and the Herons (4-11-4, 1-8-3) on the power-play, Head Coach Jaime Totten called a timeout and pulled goalie Maggie Salmon in favor of an extra attacker. Junior Krista Federow won the ensuing faceoff and pinned the Knights deep in their own zone.  First-year Kate Klimaszewski took the puck along the half board and fed a pass to junior Rebecca Begley at the point. Begley slid the puck to the opposite point where Mulligan was waiting to fire the puck past the Neumann goalie. The power-play goal was Mulligan's team-leading fourth power-play goal of the season.
 
Neumann (6-10-3, 2-7-3), opened the scoring at 4:11 of the first period. Bek Lucas deked around a defender and fired a shot past William Smith goalie, Devon Strachan.  Jillian Crane was credited with an assist on Lucas' 14th goal of the season.
 
The Herons tied the game at 1-1 when Stephanie Hampton pocketed her fourth goal of the season. She redirected a Rebecca Begley point shot up over Neumann goalie Julia Fair's glove and into the back of the net. Begley and Federow were credited with assists on the power-play goal. The score remained tied at the first intermission. William Smith held a 19-13 edge in shots on goal at the end of the first period.
 
The Knights scored twice in a span of two and a half minutes in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Lucas scored her second goal of the game at 14:46 of the period, firing a shot over the glove of Strachan that just tucked under the crossbar. Mollie Johnson was credited with an assist on the goal. At the 17:16 mark, Grace Klienbach slipped a shot between Strachan's legs and across the goal line.
 
In the second period, the Herons piled up the offensive zone time but were unable to send the puck past Fair. William Smith earned a power play at the 9:58 mark of the period and spent the whole two minutes in the offensive zone. Neumann blocked four shots and Fair stopped another, killing off the penalty.
 
Junior Catherine Linehan scored her first goal of the season at 12:38 of the third period to jumpstart the Heron rally. Off of a scramble in front of the net, she flipped a shot over Fair and into the open goal. Mulligan and sophomore Tess Madarasz were credited with assists on the goal. Begley had an opportunity to tie the game at 16:12 of the third period but Fair made her best stop of the night, diving across the crease to bat the puck out of the air with her blocker.
 
William Smith dominated the overtime period, outshooting Neumann 9-1 in the extra period. Two minutes into OT, Hampton nearly won the game but her shot went off the post. In the closing seconds, Krista Federow forced a turnover in the slot, but her wrist shot was turned aside by Fair.
 
Strachan started in goal for the Herons and made 22 saves in 37:14 of action. Salmon came on in relief and stopped all 13 shots she faced in 27:16. At the opposite end of the rink, Fair finished the game with 50 saves.
 
William Smith went 2-for 5 on the power play while Neumann came away empty on its two attempts.
 
The Herons will be back in action next weekend, Feb. 4-5, when they take on Cortland in a home-and-home series. William Smith will be in Cortland next Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. and back at The Cooler next Sunday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m.