Melissa Samoskevich's Overtime Game-Winner Propels No. 4/4 QU Women's Ice Hockey Over No. 7/8 Harvard, 2-1

Saturday, December 5

Hamden, Conn.

4:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

13-1-3 (7-1-2ECAC)

Harvard University

8-4-1 (5-3-1ECAC)

OT 1

Harvard

Quinnipiac

Melissa Samoskevich's Overtime Game-Winner Propels No. 4/4 QU Women's Ice Hockey Over No. 7/8 Harvard, 2-1

12/5/2015 7:32:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

HAMDEN, Connecticut – Melissa Samoskevich (Sandy Hook, Connecticut) scored the game-winning goal with 55.1 seconds remaining in overtime to propel the No. 4/4 Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team over the No. 7/8 Harvard Crimson, 2-1, Saturday evening in ECAC Hockey action at High Point Solutions Arena.

The Bobcats' extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games with the victory, the second longest streak in program history, as well as their winning streak to seven games, tied for the second longest streak in program history. Quinnipiac tied its 2014-15 first half record with the win, improving to 13-1-3 (7-1-2 ECAC Hockey) as they defeated Harvard for the first time since Nov. 12, 2010.

Harvard dropped its second straight game to fall to 8-4-1 (5-3-1 ECAC Hockey), and had not been swept in a weekend series since Nov. 26-27, 2011 at Minnesota. With losses to Princeton and Quinnipiac this weekend, Harvard was swept in an ECAC Hockey weekend for the first time since Nov. 14-15, 2008 at Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

Samoskevich's game-winning goal was her eighth goal of the season and third straight game with a goal, scoring four in total over that stretch. Samoskevich ends the game with eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points on the season, ranking in the top two of the team in all three categories. Samoskevich's overtime game-winner was the first for the Bobcats since Taryn Baumgardt (Innisfail, Alberta) at Robert Morris on Jan. 16, 2015.

Woods scored the first goal of the game for the Bobcats which gave them a 1-0 lead late in the third period for her fifth goal of the season. Her 15 points are third on the team as she picked up a point for the third straight game and sixth time in the last seven.

Taylor Cianfarano (Oswego, New York) picked up a pair of assists in the victory for the Bobcats for her 10^th multiple-point game this season, tied for the second most in the country. Cianfarano has 16 goals and 11 assist for 27 points, one of just 14 players in the country to have double digit goals and assists.

Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario) recorded an assist on Samoskevich's game-winning goal for her first point since Nov. 27 against UConn in the Nutmeg Classic. Kosta's assist was her fourth of the season to give her 10 points, giving her at least 10 points in all four seasons she has played for the Bobcats.

Between the pipes, Sydney Rossman (Excelsior, Minnesota) shined once again for the Bobcats as she recorded 21 saves for the second straight game. Rossman is the first Quinnipiac goaltender to get a win vs. Harvard since Victoria Vigilanti.

Woods put the Bobcats up 1-0 with just 1:12 remaining in the first period with a perfect backhand to beat Harvard goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer. Harvard's Mary Parker attempted to skate the puck out of the defensive zone but Cianfarano created contact to jar the puck loose and with one hand jabbed a pass to Woods on the right boards. Woods skated on goal through the bottom of the right face-off circle before roofing a quick backhand past Maschmeyer's glove side who didn't see the backhand coming.

Karly Heffernan tied the game at 1-1 for the Crimson with 12:29 to play in the third period. After gaining control of the puck along the right boards in the defensive zone, Heffernan played the puck out of the zone where it was batted out of mid-air by Audrey Warner to Lexie Laing at the red line. Laing skated the puck all the way into the right corner of the offensive zone where she threw the puck on net and it banked off Rossman into the slot. Heffernan stepped up and ripped one top shelf past Rossman's blocker for the equalizer.

Samoskevich scored the game-winning with 55.1 seconds remaining in the overtime period to send the Bobcats faithful home happy. Cianfarano skated the puck in from the left side of the offensive zone and had her shot denied by Maschmeyer. The rebound kicked out to Kosta at the top of the crease, where she kicked the puck to Samoskevich flying in on the weak side to bang home the game-winning goal past Maschmeyer.

The Quinnipiac women's ice hockey wraps up play in the first half of the season on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 P.M. when they host the New Hampshire Wildcats at High Point Solutions Arena.