Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Junior McKenzie Taggart broke a 4-4 tie with a power-play goal at 12:22 of the third period to give the Stevenson University Mustangs a 5-4 win over the University of New England in a non-league women's ice hockey game Friday evening (Dec. 5) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

Stevenson won its fourth straight outing to improve to 6-2-0, while the Nor'easters drop to 3-6-1. The two teams will play again tomorrow at 3 p.m.

After UNE had twice rallied from a deficit to tie the game, Taggart gave the Mustangs their margin for victory when she re-directed a shot from the high slot by junior Tori Emoff.

Stevenson was able to hold its one-goal margin thanks in large part to a brilliant third-period effort between the pipes from junior Sarah Modzelewski, who stopped 18 shots in the final frame.

UNE grabbed an early 1-0 lead at 3:20 of the first when sophomore Mary Wirth put home a wrist shot from the top of the right circle after classmate Emily Corrales had won the face-off.

The Mustangs drew even five minutes later when junior Megan Alexander tipped in a shot from just in front of the left post as Stevenson converted a 5-on-3 opportunity.

Stevenson would forge a 3-1 lead with a pair of goals to open the second frame. Junior Katie Abbott scored on a tip-in 23 seconds into the period, then junior Jessie Campinelli roofed a wrist shot from the top of the left circle at 7:24.

The Nor'easters responded with two consecutive tallies to tie the game at three. Sophomore Shannon Smith scored from close range just 22 seconds after Campinelli's marker, and sophomore Cassandra Connolly followed with a slap shot from just outside the left circle that found its way inside the near post.

Emoff gave Stevenson a 4-3 advantage at 16:22 of the second when she fired home a wrister from the slot with her team on the power play.

UNE would tie the game again midway through the third period. After junior Marissa Clifford-Biederman put a shot on goal that was saved, sophomore Gabriella Moscato cleaned up the rebound.

The game remained tied for less than three minutes, as Taggart's game-winner came on Stevenson's third power-play conversion of the night. The Mustangs were successful on 3 of 8 power-play opportunities, while UNE was 0 for 5.

Modzelewski finished with a total of 29 saves to up her record to 4-1. Junior Courtney Kendall stopped 24 shots for the Nor'easters.