Cool trick! Webster lifts Manchester to 3-2 OT win over Bedford

MANCHESTER, NH – With Manchester’s season on the line, Jamie Webster knew it was time to put her hair up, square up and get her hands a little dirty.

The senior Captain recorded her first hat trick of the season, including the game-winner with 12.5 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Queens to a 3-2 win over Bedford, Thursday night at Sullivan Arena on the campus of Saint Anselm College.

With the win, Manchester improves to 4-6-0 and stays in the thick of the hunt for a post-season berth.

“This was huge. We’re trying to make a push for playoffs and this win was very much needed,” said Webster. “So to be able to come back and win that game was amazing. The team is very hyped.”

All three of Webster’s goals came as the result of “greasy” work, battling for space in front of the net, a place she doesn’t particularly feel at home.

“To be honest, no. I consider myself more of a shooter,” she said. “But you just gotta kind of feel the energy on the ice, where you’re going to be able to score goals.”

Webster’s complete post-game interview can be viewed here.

Manchester dominated play from the opening puck drop, outshooting Bedford 40-15, and keeping Bedford (2-8-0) pinned in its own end for lengthy stretches. Still, thanks to a little puck luck and some terrific goaltending play from Bedford’s Alexandra Bobar and Freya Gukelberger, the Queens found themselves trailing, 2-1, early in the third period.

“We controlled the neutral zone in the first period. The second period came and we were just very panicky (on the ice),” said Manchester Head Coach Cassi Lavigne. “The big thing was passing the puck more, moving it around. There would be double-team and triple-team from Bedford, so the big thing was getting them off the girl to move the puck.”

Lavigne’s complete post-game interview can be viewed here.

The equalizer came with 10:20 to play in regulation. Manchester sophomore Ryleigh McNelly made a strong rush down the left side and fired a shot from the top of the circle. Gukelberger made the save but he the rebound deflected to the right and onto the stick of Webster, who drilled it into the back of the net to tie the game, 2-2.

Throughout the game, Bedford was focusing its defensive efforts on McNelley, collapsing on the speedy center each time she crossed into the attack zone. But over the past few weeks, the Manchester offense has improved greatly. The Queens have been moving the puck better and generating more scoring chances from more players.

Manchester had multiple chances to win the regulation, as McNelly, Webster and sophomore Rylee Page all had prime scoring bids turned aside by Gukelberger.

Queens’ goalie Chloe Gilroy didn’t face a cavalcade of shots but when she needed to make a stop, she came up huge. With just over a minute to play in regulation, Manchester got sloppy with the puck in their own end. Bedford’s Oriana Silvia came up with the steal in front of the net and got off a clean shot by Gilroy made the save to force overtime.

Bedford got the first two scoring chances in the 8-minute extra session before Manchester took over. The Queens applied heavy pressure only to be turned aside.

Finally, with time winding down, junior Elizabeth Kelley came out of the corner with the puck, drew the defense to her and saucered a centering pass. With a Bulldog draped on her, Webster was able to control the pass and flipped a backhand past a diving Gukelbrger for the win.

“I’ve been with the program seven years, four as coach, this is the first time we have beaten Bedford (twice) in the same season,” said Lavigne. “Bedford is a great program… we just wanted it so much more. It’s meant so much to us, we’re trying to make the playoffs this year.”

Manchester got off to a strong start, with McNelly, Page and Nevaeh Marineau pressing the attack and testing Bedford freshman goalie Alexandra Bobar.

Despite owning a 12-4 edge in shots on goal, the Queens fell behind on a fluke goal. Gilroy had made a stop on a shot by Alexia Silvia but she couldn’t control the rebound. Silvia poked the loose puck and it lightly trickled over the goal line.

The Bulldogs nearly extended their lead with just over 6:00 to play in the second period but Gilroy stoned Oriana Silvia on a clean breakaway. Moments later, Webster knocked home the rebound of a shot by McNelly to make it 1-1.

But just as quickly as Manchester had seized the momentum, it was gone again. Alexia Silvia got her second goal, 70 seconds later, converting the rebound of a shot by Oriana Silvia, and Bedford had a 2-1 lead after two periods.