NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. - Junior goaltender Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds) set a Wayne State University single-season record for saves, but the Warriors (8-20-2, 1-13-2 CHA) dropped their regular-season finale, 4-2, at Niagara University (11-14-5, 8-4-2 CHA) on Saturday afternoon.

As she corralled a wrist shot from the blue line by Erica Owczarczak at the midpoint of the game, Brian posted her 16th save of the game and 936th of the year, surpassing Anna VanderMarliere (935; 2000-01) as the new single-season leader.

Brian finished with 27 saves, but with three straight third-period tallies the Purple Eagles erased a 1-0 deficit created by Lauren Coxon (Kitchener, Ont./Waterloo KW Rangers) in the first period.

Wayne State made it a 3-2 score with just over two minutes remaining in regulation on a goal by Alyssa Baldin (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs), but Jessica Hitchcock finished off the game with her second goal of the afternoon with 18 seconds left.

Shots on goal went in favor of the Warriors, 34-31. Wayne State had 17 in the second, matching its highest single-period total of the year, but Jenni Bauer stopped all 17 as part of her 29 saves.

The Warriors scored their first goal of the weekend midway through the first period Saturday, as Jill Szandzik's (Warren, Mich./Little Caesars) shot from the blue line was redirected in front by Coxon to put WSU ahead at the 10:07 mark.

Niagara's comeback began as Jenna Hendrikx popped in a rebound from a tough angle on the goal line, with an assist from Hitchcock at 9:49 of the third.

Another quick shot on the doorstep by Natasha Fryer produced Niagara's second goal at 11:18. Later in the period, as a Niagara penalty expired, the Purple Eagles had a 3-on-2 opportunity which was capped off by Hitchcock with 2:38 remaining.

Baldin's tip-in off a shot by Szandzik, with an assist from Katie Gaskin (Pickering, Ont./Durham Jr. Lightning), pulled the Warriors within one at 17:59. In the waning seconds, a turnover in the WSU zone led to Hitchcock's second goal of the game.

Wayne State will be idle next weekend before heading into the College Hockey America Tournament, beginning Thursday, March 3 in Syracuse, N.Y.

NOTES
Brian's 27 saves puts her 2010-11 total at 947 … Szandzik's multiple-point game was her third of the season and seventh of her career … she has 17 assists this season, tied for second-most in a single year by a WSU defenseman … WSU also had 17 shots in a period Jan. 28 against Syracuse.