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Whale score two goals in 1:27 to force OT; beat Boston in a shootout

The Connecticut Whale celebrate after beating the Boston Pride, 4-3 in a shootout for their second win of the year. (Photo courtesy NWHL, via Twitter)

STAMFORD, Nov. 19 – Trailing by two goals late in the third period, the Connecticut Whale scored two goals in a span of 1:27 to tie their National Women’s Hockey League game with the visiting Boston Pride.

The game went to a shootout when Kelly Babstock scored to lift the Whale to a 4-3 victory at Terry Connors Rink Sunday. It’s the second straight win for Connecticut (2-2) over the winless Pride (0-3-1) and the first shootout win for the Whale in nearly two years. Connecticut won three games by shootout in the first year of the NWHL.

Boston had a 3-1 lead late in the third period but Connecticut rallied. With 2:25 left in regulation, Babcock collected a pass that the Pride defense tried to clear but it went right to a wide-open Babstock. She settled the puck, waited a second and ripped a shot past Boston goalie Brittany Ott to pull Connecticut within one goal.

It was Babstock’s first goal of the season.

With 1:21 remaining, Babstock made the big effort to get the puck into the Boston zone, getting past two Boston defenders. This allowed the Whale to pull goalie Sydney Rossman for an extra attacker.

Babstock battled for the puck in the corner and redirected the puck to teammate Sam Faber, who centered the puck in front of the net. It went to rookie Emily Fluke, who was moving to her left. Fluke stopped and redirected it into the net with 58 seconds left in regulation.

It was the second goal in four games for Fluke, who played at Middlebury College.

In overtime, Babstock missed a shot with 10 seconds gone in the extra period. Ott made a nice save, stacking her pads on the ice to stop a shot from Fluke with 2:35 left in overtime.

In the shootout, Rossman made a pad save on Boston’s Dana Trivigno and tipped away a shot from Haley Skarupa. Janine Weber’s shot was wide to lift the Whale to the win.

For the Whale, Ott stopped Faber with a pad save. But Babstock ripped a shot past Ott that just snuck under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead. Ott batted away a shot from Jamie Goldsmith.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on a power play goal from Alyssa Gagliardi with 10:52 gone in the first period. The Whale tied the game on a goal from Fluke off assists from Babstock and Amanda Boulier.

The Pride extended the lead to two goals, 3-1, early in the period. Skarupa scored with 13:45 remaining in the game while Emily Field added another goal for the Pride with 11:32 left in the game.

The league takes next weekend off for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Whale return to the ice on Sunday, Dec. 3, when they visit Newark, N.J., to visit the league-leading and undefeated Metropolitan Riveters at 3 p.m.

NOTES: The Whale beat Boston for the second time in a single season for the first time. Connecticut had one win over the Pride in 2015 and none last year in year two. … Babstock is Connecticut’s leading scorer with five points (one goal, four assists), followed by Fluke (four points, 2 goals, 2 assists) and Sam Faber (three points, 2 goals, 1 assist). … Connecticut’s last shootout win was Dec. 13, 2015 when the Whale beat New York, 4-3.

Connecticut 4, Boston 3, SO
At Stamford
Boston (0-3-1)                     1  0  2  0  — 2
Connecticut (2-2)                 0  1  2  0 — 3
Connecticut won the shootout, 1-0
First period
Boston 1, Alyssa Gagliardi (Haley Skarupa, Dana Trivigno) 9:08 (pp); Penalties: Shannon Doyle (CT) tripping, 8:02; Jordan Smelker (B) high sticking, 13:43
Second period
Connecticut 1, Emily Fluke (Amanda Boulier, Kelly Babstock), 11:14; Penalties: Stephanie Mock (CT) delay of game, 4:21; Rachael Ade (CT) tripping, 6:39; Kelly Babstock (CT) body checking, 11:48; Kaliya Johnson (B) tripping, 16:30; Shannon Doyle (CT) tripping, 18:10
Third period
Boston 2, Haley Skarupa (Jordan Smelker, Corey Stearns), 6:15; Boston 3, Emily Field (Dana Trivigno, Kaliya Johnson), 9:28; Connecticut 2, Kelly Babstock (Sam Faber, Amanda Boulier), 17:34; Connecticut 3, Sam Faber (Emily Fluke, Kelly Babstock), 19:01; Penalties: Emily Field (B) cross checking, 6:31; Sam Faber (CT) roughing, 6:31; Emily Fluke (CT), tripping, 6:31; Jillian Dempsey (B) hooking, 14:41
Overtime
No scoring. No penalties
Shootout
Connecticut 1-3 (Faber, miss; Babstock, goal; Jamie Goldsmith, miss); Boston 0-3 (Dana Trivgno, miss; Haley Skarupa miss; Janine Weber, miss)
Power play: Boston 1-6, Connecticut 0-3
Shots: Boston 33 (5-11-13-4); Connecticut 26 (8-5-12-1)
Goalie: Boston – Brittany Ott (L, 0-3-1), 26 shots, 23 saves; Connecticut – Sydney Rossman (W, 2-2) 33 shots, 30 saves

NWHL standings

W-L Pts. GF GA
Metropolitan 4-0 8 21 7
Buffalo 2-2- 4 13 17
Connecticut 2-2 4 9 12
Boston 0-3-1 1 8 15

Sunday’s game
Connecticut, 4, Boston 3, SO
Saturday’s game
Metropolitan 4, Buffalo 0
Saturday, Dec. 2
Buffalo at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 3
Connecticut at Metropolitan, 3 p.m.

Since 2009, the Collinsville Press has been providing award-winning coverage of sports and news in the Farmington Valley and across Connecticut.

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