MANKATO, MN – Emily Antony scored a power-play goal with 40 seconds left in overtime to give host Minnesota State University (1-0-0) a 2-1 win over the RIT women's hockey team (0-1-0) on Friday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena in the 2016-17 regular season opener for both teams.
 
Down 1-0 heading into the third period, senior forward Caitlin Wallace (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate) tied the game at 1-1 with 16:48 left in regulation, as she corralled a loose puck along the wall, snuck out into the slot and ripped a shot past Minnesota State goaltender Brianna Quade for the goal.
 
Wallace almost won the game for the Tigers in the final minute of regulation, as she got loose in front and fired a shot that Quade stopped.
 
The Mavericks nearly won the game in the first few seconds of overtime, as Hannah Davidson came in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot past RIT goaltender Terra Lanteigne (Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia/Charles P. Allen), but off the left post, through the crease and out.
 
Minnesota State would get a power-play with just under a minute left and take advantage, as a point shot by Anna Keys was deflected by Antony in front and past Lanteigne for the game-winner.
 
Despite the loss, Lanteigne was outstanding in her collegiate debut, stopping 36 of 38 total shots. She made several key saves and did a good job of corralling rebounds throughout the contest.
 
Antony and Coleman scored for the Mavericks, while Keys assisted on both goals. In net, Quade stopped 22 shots.
 
Minnesota State out-shot RIT, 38-23 and was 1-for-4 on the power-play. RIT was 0-for-5.

"We came out very tenative in the first period, but after that I thought we played very well for having such a short bench tonight," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Coach Scott McDonald. "We left it all out there and at this point in the season, that's a good sign. Our special teams need to play with more urgency. I thought Terra (Lanteigne) looked very calm and steady for us in her first collegiate start."
 
Minnesota State scored the lone goal in the opening period with 1:22 left, as Coleman took a feed from Keys in the slot off a Minnesota State faceoff win in the neutral zone, walked into the slot and ripped a hard wrist shot over the glove of Lanteigne for the goal.
 
The Tigers had a great chance on their first shot of the game, as Jade Mancini (Burlington, Ontario/Bishop Tonnos) had an point-blank opportunity stonewalled by a sliding save from Quade.
 
Neither team scored in the second period, as both teams fired nine shots on goal.
 
Lanteigne had to make a big save on a one-timer by Corbin Boyd from the slot early in the period, while the Mavericks were on a power-play.
 
RIT had a handful of excellent chances later in the period that just missed connecting. Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's Catholic) came barreling in on a 2-on-1 and from the left face-off circle, tried to beat Quade high, but the goaltender made a big shoulder save. In the final minute of the period, Lindsay Stenason (Oakville, Ontario/Appleby Collegiate) fired a hard shot from the point through traffic and a screen that Quade stopped as a scramble ensued on the rebound.
 
Tonight's game marks the third all-time meeting between the two schools, as Minnesota State holds a 2-1 lead. Last year, the two teams opened the season against each other at the Gene Polisseni Center. Stenason scored the game-winner in the final minute to lift RIT to a 2-1 win in the opener, while the Mavericks took game two, 4-2.

Tonight was the collegiate debut for first-year players Taylor Baker (Toronto, Ontario/North Toronto Collegiate Institute), Claudia Black (Newmarket, Ontario/St. Maximilian Kobe), Haywood, Lanteigne, and Mancini.
 
RIT and Minnesota State complete the weekend series on Saturday afternoon, once again from the Verizon Wireless Center at 3:07 p.m. EST.