WINCHENDON, Mass. (2/25/23) - As the final seconds winded down in the third period, it seemed that the Ravens season would end in the NEWHA quarterfinal round versus No. 5 Sacred Heart University. However, the late-game magic was there at Jason Richie Ice Arena, as the Ravens would score a thrilling goal with just over a second remaining to force overtime, eventually coming away with a 2-1 victory in extra time to force a decisive game three.  

With the series now deadlocked at one apiece, Franklin Pierce moves to 17-14-3 (14-9-3 NEWHA) on the campaign, while Sacred Heart drops to 16-17-3 (12-10-2 NEWHA) with the game two loss.

The first period featured high-paced action between both sides, with each looking to strike first in a pivotal game two. Both the Ravens and Pioneers had good looks at the net, including chances on the power play, but could not find a way to put the puck in the net. Through the first 20-minutes, the Pioneers would outshoot the Ravens 11-7 and would carry a chunk of momentum into the second period.  

With the Pioneers' newfound momentum, they took advantage of a Pierce turnover at their own blueline, creating a two-on-one break from which Cassandra Nevers opened the scoring just 3:13 into the period. Now trailing 1-0, the Ravens continued to generate quality chances on net, but still could not find a way past Pioneers' Carly Green in goal. Through the second frame, the Ravens outshot the Pioneers by an 11-7 margin, bringing both teams to 18 apiece through 40-minutes of play.

In the third period, the Ravens still could not solve the Carly Greene equation, despite bombarding the Pioneer net with early shots. Through the mid-way point of the final frame, the Pioneers continued to hold firm defensively, looking to preserve their fragile one-goal lead with time ticking away. Until, in the final moments, the Ravens miraculously scored the tying goal with 1.6 seconds remaining in the third on a goal from freshman Avery Farrell (Otsego, Minn.). The equalizer came off a feed from behind the Sacred Heart net by senior forward Ava Kison (Eau Claire, Wisc.), who found Farrell camped out in front for a point blank one timer, forcing overtime and keeping the Raven hopes alive. Junior forward Claire Casey (Superior, Wisc.) was also credited with a helper.

Overtime saw more great chances for both sides, but the Ravens seized the real momentum of the period with a flip of the switch. Following another feed from behind the Pioneer net, sophomore forward Mikayla Kelley (Eagan, Minn.) caught the puck off the right post and sent the game-winner into a wide open cage behind an unaware Carly Greene, forcing a winner-take-all game three with just over four minutes left in the overtime period.  

Freshman netminder Jill Hertl (Highland Park, Ill.) was her usual self in goal for the Ravens, stopping 29-of-30 shots faced with just the one goal surrendered in the second period, earning the win to move to 14-10-3 on the season. Carly Greene (8-14-2) shoulders the loss for the the Pioneers following a top-notch effort, making 39 saves on the 41 shots faced between the posts.  

It all comes down to one final matchup between the Ravens and Pioneers on Sunday, February 26^th at Jason Richie Ice Arena, with puck drop at 4:00 p.m. to decide who advances to the NEWHA Semifinal round.