UTICA, N.Y. -- Facing its first overtime contest of the season, the Castleton University women's ice hockey team defeated Utica 2-1 as Brooke Greenwood tallied the game-winning goal Tuesday evening at the Adirondack Bank Center. With the win tonight, the Spartans wrap up the first half of the season and improves to 8-5 while the Pioneers fall to 3-6.

With Jessie Foote making her first career start as the Spartans' netminder, the sophomore from Westmoreland, N.Y., tallied eight saves in the first period to keep the Pioneers off the board. Foote would tally 11 more saves in the second period as the game remained scoreless until the 19:57 mark of the period.

While on the power play, Casey Traill connected off a Sophia Vingi pass and scored in the final three seconds of the second period as the Spartans took a 1-0 advantage over the Pioneers. Traill continues to lead all Spartan defensemen in goals as she tallied her fifth goal of the season.

Holding onto a slim lead, the Spartans' lead vanished as the Pioneers took advantage on one of their two power play opportunities. Olivia Hirschy scored as she took a shot from the blue line that snuck under the bar as the Pioneers tied the game up at one at the 5:15 mark of the third period.

Neither team was able to tally the game-winning goal during the third period as the Pioneers kept the pressure on the Spartans. Foote recorded 15 of her 36 saves during the period to keep the game tied at one as the game headed for overtime.

As the Pioneers kept the pressure on with a couple of solid opportunities to score, Greenwood won the game for the Spartans as she scored on her own rebound at the 3:26 mark of the overtime period.

The win tonight marks the first time in program history that the Spartans have defeated the Pioneers. Before tonight's contest, the Spartans were 0-4 against the Pioneers since 2005 with the last meeting occurring in 2011 where the Spartans suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Women's ice hockey returns to action Saturday, January 4 as it competes in the Castleton Invitational at Spartan Arena. The Spartans will take on Northland at 1 p.m. and then will face off against either SUNY Canton or Buffalo on Sunday, January 5.