PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Freshman Margaret Ready (Centreville, Mass.) scored an empty net goal with 35 seconds remaining in overtime to propel the Nichols College women's ice hockey team to its first win of the season, 5-4 over Plymouth State in New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action Saturday afternoon at Hanaway Rink.
 
Senior Samantha DiReda (Shrewsbury, Mass.) scored a goal and assisted on another to lead the Bison to a season-high five goals scored. All five goals were scored by five different student-athletes – which is the first time the Bison have had that happen since November 2015 against Johnson & Wales (RI).
 
Junior Emily Barden (Chatham, N.Y.) opened up the scoring at 7:50 of the first period with her second goal in the last three games. Panthers senior defenseman Haley Branovan (Canadaigua, N.Y.) scored the next goal and then assisted on another before the end of the first period to give Plymouth State a 2-1 lead headed into the first intermission.
 
DiReda answered quickly in the second period with a goal just 41 seconds into the stanza – her first goal of the season. Senior captain Emily Wood (Wakefield, Mass.) added another later in the period to give the Bison back the lead. Freshman Jill Hannigan (Portland, Maine) assisted on the goal.
 
The Panthers evened it up with just 1:01 left in the period on a power play goal by junior Shannon Hickey (Arlington, Mass.) – her team-leading seventh of the season.
 
The score remained even until just under six minutes remaining in the third period when sophomore Mikayla Castro (Killingworth, Conn.) potted her first-collegiate goal on an assist from DiReda.
 
Freshman Kailey Jacobs (Westwood, Mass.) evened the score again with her second goal of the game with just 36 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
The Bison connected on the lone shot from either team in the overtime period with Ready scoring her second goal of the season. It is the Bison's first overtime win since January of 2015 (3-2, NEC).
 
Sophomore Cassandra Goyette (Norton, Mass.) stopped 30 shots on the way to the win while the Panthers had a goalie-by-committee. Senior Ally Alstschuler (Cheshire, Conn.) made 16 saves over the first couple periods while sophomore Emelie Lindqvist (Gullerasen, Sweden) takes the loss after making six saves in 26:25 of action.
 
All-Time Series
The Bison have won more games against the Panthers than any other team in program-history and lead the all-time series now at 8-4-0. The next most wins for the Bison over any opponent is four (Saint Michael's).
 
Next Games
Nichols (1-19-1, 1-12-0 NEHC) – Friday, February 10 at Manhattanville, 7:00 p.m.
Plymouth State (7-12-2, 3-9-1 NEHC) – Friday, February 10 vs Saint Michael's, 6:00 p.m.