NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. - The Wayne State University women's hockey team (4-8-3, 1-4-0 CHA) suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat in overtime Saturday afternoon at Niagara University (7-6-4, 3-2-2 CHA) to open a two-game series at Dwyer Arena.

Frances McPhail scored the game-winning goal at 3:06 in the extra period to snap the Purple Eagles' 10-game losing streak against the Warriors dating back to February 2007.

Scoring chances were few and far between in the first two periods, as neither team could get on the board while combining for just 15 shots.

Wayne State had 13 shots on goal in the third, however, and Veronique Laramee-Paquette (Mont-Tremblant, Que./Les Cheminots) broke the deadlock at 12:52 with assists from Chelsea Burnett (Ridgeway, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) and Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont./North American Hockey Academy).

Near the end of a power play, Ingratta fired a shot from the right side which sailed high but came all the way around the boards to Burnett. Her shot from just inside the blue line was tipped in by Laramee-Paquette for her fourth goal of the year.

With just under five minutes to play, a blast from the left wing by Jenna Hendrikx, the CHA leader among freshman in goals, caromed off the stick of Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds) into the net to tie the game.

As the midway point of the overtime period passed, Hendrikx found Jennifer MacLean open on the left side for a shot. Brian made the initial save, but McPhail was there to collect the rebound and score her third goal of the season, handing Wayne State its second loss in its last 18 overtime games (7-2-9).

Brian (3-3-2) finished with 15 saves, while Jenni Bauer (7-6-4) totaled 18 including 12 in the third period.

Wayne State and Niagara will wrap up 2009 with a rematch Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.

NOTES
Laramee-Paquette and Ingratta each extended their point streaks to four games … Burnett has a three-game streak … Wayne State and Niagara had not played an overtime game since the Purple Eagles ousted the Warriors from the 2006 CHA Tournament in Detroit … WSU has played to a 0-0 tie through the opening 20 minutes nine times this season, and through the first two periods three times.