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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Senior #Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder)# scored a power-play goal with 1:29 remaining in the third period to secure a 2-2 draw for the RIT women's hockey team (4-3-1, 1-2-1 CHA) against Penn State at the Greenberg Ice Arena on Friday evening. The Tigers dominated play, holding a 61-23 advantage in shots, but Penn State goalie Nicole Paniccia kept the Nittany Lions in the game, making 59 saves in the contest.  

The Nittany Lions struck twice in rapid succession in the first period. After #Kristina Moss (Webster, NY/Buffalo Bisons)# took a two-minute penalty for interference, Penn State converted the power-play opportunity on a goal by Taylor Gross. Just 23 seconds later, Shannon Yoxheimer scored her sixth goal of the season, scooping up a loose puck in front of the net past #Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)#, to push the lead to 2-0. Facing a 5-on-3 for two minutes, the Tigers turned the momentum by killing the Nittany Lions advantage, and then scored at the 16:42 mark on a power-play opportunity of their own, as #Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres) and Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) set up (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy)# who cut the deficit to one. Two minutes later, #Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets)# fired a shot from the point that got through traffic but hit off the post. The teams went into the first intermission with Penn State holding a 2-1 lead despite being outshot, 12-6.

RIT started the second period by firing seven shots on goal in the first six minutes, but Paniccia made all the saves to keep the Nittany Lions in front by one. With 7:56 remaining in the period, the Tigers were sent to the penalty box but Chamberlain made sure the Nittany Lions didn't convert by making back-to-back key saves. Chamberlain would come up big again with under a minute to play in the period. Jess Desorcie found herself on a breakaway but Chamberlain robbed her with a brilliant glove save. RIT tallied an 18-8 advantage in shots for the period but still trailed heading into the break.

The third period began with an impressive penalty kill from the Tigers as Penn State had trouble getting the puck into the offensive zone. At the 12:31 mark, #Ariane Yokoyama (Van Nuys, CA/LA Selects) sent a crossing pass just out of the reach of (Woodstock, Ontario/Waterloo K-W Rangers)Kim Schlattman (Stratford, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)#. The Nittany Lions raced back down the ice an had a scoring opportunity that was denied by another superb save from Chamberlain. However, Yokoyama was injured on the play as she hustled back to the defensive end but ended up going down hard into the net and wouldn't return. Moments after a delay as the training staff attended to Yokoyama, #Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic)# stole the puck and had a chance to draw the Tigers even, but was robbed by Paniccia.

On the other end, Penn State fired a shot that knocked Chamberlain's stick out of her hands but the goalie wasn't flustered as she stopped consecutive shots after the stick was jarred loose. The physicality intensified and RIT went on the power-play with 3:28 left in regulation looking for the tying score. Schlattman had a chance in front of the net but was denied on Paniccia's 48th save of the evening. With 1:29 remaining, Hiller gathered a loose puck on the right wing and fired and beat the goalie to knot the score at two.  Payerl was credited with the assist as the Tigers sent the contest to overtime.

Neither team was able to convert in the five minute overtime period. #Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning)# was able to redirect a shot from the point but was stopped. The Tigers took five shots to zero from the Nittany Lions.

For the game, RIT was 2-for-5 on the power-play, while the Nittany Lions converted on 1-of-4 attempts.

Chamberlain made 21 saves in net for the Tigers.    

RIT returns to action on Nov. 9 when they travel to Hamilton, N.Y. to take on Colgate at 7 p.m.