HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's hockey team fought off two Nichols comebacks and scored with 2.4 seconds left in regulation to defeat the Bison, 4-3, in ECAC East hockey action at Levy Rink Friday afternoon. Kathleen Roche (Boston, Mass.) netted the game-winner on the power play, and also added an assist in the game.

Gabrielle Gardner (Farmington Hills, Mich.) slipped the puck down to Molly Golden (Milton, Mass.) as the Seahawks were on the power play in the waning seconds of the game. Golden fired from the right netfront, but Nichols goaltender Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.) made the pad save. The rebound popped out, and Roche was there to jam it into the open left side of the net.

Nichols took an early lead when Brittany Nardone (Billerica, Mass.) put the Bison on the board just 44 seconds into the game. She sent a loose puck toward the net from just inside the blueline and the puck deflected off a Salve Regina defender before sailing into the left side of the net unopposed.

The Seahawks rallied for a pair of second period goals, first when Shannon Ellis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) slid a low-angle shot from the near post that dribbled across the goal line at 14:49. Kathleen Roche (Boston, Mass.) earned the assist with a behind-the-net pass to set up the score.

Seahawks' leading scorer Caitlin Campbell (Hingham, Mass.) put Salve Regina ahead with less than three minutes left in the frame when she batted in a centering pass from behind the net by junior Ally Carr (Mendham, N.J.).

Nichols' Kayla Robidoux (Cumberland, R.I.) knotted the game back up early in the third period with a power-play tally that ricocheted back out of the net before being ruled a goal. Courtney Carey (Belmont, Mass.) earned the assist with the across-the-slot feed at 4:13. Robidoux's goal marked the first power-play tally on the season for the Bison.

Golden put the Seahawks ahead again five minutes later with a power-play score. Alex Riewer (Lake Bluff, Ill.) slid the puck to Gardner low in the right circle before the sophomore threaded it through the slot to Golden, who backhanded it in at the left post for the 3-2 lead.

The Bison battled back again, as Allison Peters (Westford, Mass.) fired a slapshot from the point that found its way through traffic at 11:58 of the final stanza. Cheryl Winter (Cupertino, Calif.) and Ashley Parker (West Jordan, Utah) picked up assists on the tally.

Seahawks' netminder Lauren Barella (Lennon, Mich.) made 20 saves in her fourth win of the season, while Mansfield stopped 39 saves in the loss.

Nichols was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Salve Regina finished 2-for-6 with the man advantage.

The Bison host Division I Sacred Heart University Saturday at 8:30 p.m., while Salve Regina travels to Holy Cross Saturday for a 1 p.m. game. 

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