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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Julia Carrigan turned a blocked shot on the defensive end into the breakaway game-winner on the other to lift No.10 Endicott College over the University of New England, 3-2, in overtime of a Conference of New England (CNE) women's ice hockey match on Friday night (Jan. 16) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

The deciding goal came just 29 seconds after the nationally-ranked Gulls (10-4-1, 6-2-0 CNE) went shorthanded in the 3-on-3 session, giving the Nor'easters (7-8-0, 3-5-0 CNE) an additional skater. Carrigan stepped in front of an attempt from the top of the left circle, split the UNE players along the blue line, and pulled the puck to her forehand at the last moment for the finish into the empty left side of the cage -- her second tally of the year.

The result capped what had been a dramatic 3rd period, that saw both teams kill off two penalties around three of the four regulation scores. Trailing 1-0, UNE's Jamie DuPont got behind the defense as possession shifted in the neutral zone, and Kaylyn Taddia was able to nudge it in front of DuPont's stride for a quick snap into the top-right corner with 11:41 remaining. [Watch]

Just past the midway point of the frame, Endicott regained the edge on the scoreboard (2-1) when Mackenzie Graham stretched to intercept a UNE clearing attempt, spun to her forehand just inside the blue line, and sent the it towards the net. As goalie Kyleigh Matola went down to stop it, the puck skipped up off of the defender in front and hopped off the inside of the left post.

The hosts kept battling, though, and, six seconds after switching Matola for an extra attacker, Amanda Forziati got the Nor'easters back even with 1:18 on the clock. Right after EC netminder Casey Moritz kicked away another bid by DuPont and Emerson Homa couldn't get an angle to stuff the rebound at the left post, Homa cycled the puck back to Jamie Ryan at the point, who shoveled it into a defender near the net. Forziati pulled the loose puck to her forehand, and, while falling, popped it around Moritz for the equalizer. [Watch]

The Gulls owned the first 40 minutes, racking up a 38-7 advantage in shots on goal, and took the lead with 5:03 gone in the 2nd when Teaghan Hall slipped one through after a defensive-zone turnover.

Otherwise, Matola needed to be dialed in and was [Watch, early 3rd / Watch, late 3rd], winding up with a season-best 48 saves for the Nor'easters -- the most stops by a UNE goalie since the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Ryan, who assisted on both goals, contributed four of the squad's 16 blocked shots.

Moritz denied 18 shots on the other side for Endicott, which now hosts UNE on Saturday.