HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Despite the highest goal tally of the season for the Nichols women's hockey team, the Bison fell short of their first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) victory after dropping Friday night's game to the Golden Bears in overtime at Levy Rink, 6-5.
 
Katie Cronin broke the scoring open as the Western New England winger picked up a loose puck and beat Victoria Bakopanos with 9:19 to play in the first period.
 
Just 1:25 into the second period, Nichols knotted things up at 1-1 when a Lauren Rokala shot from the point snuck past Jessie Gerelli-Rieley for her first goal of the season. Just over two minutes later, the Golden Bears retook the lead on an Abby Hay goal as she tipped in a loose puck sitting low in the slot.
 
Later in the period, Western New England was pinned deep in their own zone, unable to clear thanks to sustained Bison pressure. Finally, Nichols was rewarded when Grace Wiggett shot the puck past a sprawled out Gerelli-Rieley to tie the game back up at 2-2 with 13:33 remaining.
 
Kaci Johnson struck at 16:47 of the second when she picked up the puck in the offensive zone, stopping a Golden Bear clear, and cut through the right faceoff circle. Johnson fired a wrist shot into the back of the net to give the home team its first lead of the game.
 
Maddie Pope would answer for Western New England just 31 seconds later to retie the game at 3-3 heading into the third period.
 
The Bison regained their lead 7:34 into the third when Montessi picked off an errant Golden Bear pass and slid the puck forward to Wigget who tipped it cross-crease for a Megan Buxton who beat Gerelli-Rieley.
 
Pope struck for her second of the night before Maggie Holt scored on the powerplay for yet another lead change with 8:36 to play, with the Bison now trailing 5-4.
 
In crunch time, Grace Melanson momentarily saved the day for the Bison, tipping in a shot from the point off the stick of Sydney Royce with just over a minute to play, forcing the game to overtime.
 
Just seconds into overtime, Pope completed her hat trick, giving Western New England a 6-5 victory, their third CCC win of the season.
 
Nichols and Western New England will complete the home-and-home series on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield.