RUTLAND Vt. – Playing for the first time in nearly a month, the Castleton women's hockey team was unable to hold onto their lead late in Saturday afternoon's contest, giving up two third-period goals and taking a tough 3-2 loss against conference foe UMass Boston.
 
After a back-and-forth start to the game, it was the Beacons (5-7-0, 4-3-0 NEHC) opening up the scoring, with Gabby Shontz' shot sneaking past an obstructed Kirsten DiCicco and into the top corner to make it a 1-0 game nine minutes in. The lead was short-lived though, as the Spartans (5-6-2, 3-3-1 NEHC) took just 30 seconds to level the game at one via Nancy Benedict's fifth goal of the season.
 
Brooke Greenwood got things started by winning the faceoff in Castleton's zone. The puck found its way to Samantha Lawler, who dumped it into the Beacons' territory for Greenwood to give chase. The junior was the first to the puck, skating around a UMass Boston defender and laying the puck off in front of net for a waiting Benedict, who one-timed it to even up the score.
 
The Spartans would go on the powerplay with six minutes left in the period, but were unable to get a shot on frame, sending the two teams into the first break knotted at one.
 
Despite a hot start to the period from UMass Boston, it was Castleton taking their first lead of the game just over halfway into the second. Capitalizing on the man advantage after a Beacon penalty, Katherine Campoli rifled an open shot from the left circle that was saved by UMass Boston's Victoria Kennedy. Ready for the rebound, however, was Darby Palisi who slid the puck into the back of the net to make it a 2-1 game.
 
The goal was Palisi's third on the year and first since November 13^th.
 
The Beacons had a great chance to level the score with a brief 5-on-3 after consecutive Spartan penalties, but Castleton held strong and entered the final period in charge.
 
After the Spartans controlled much of the second period, the script flipped and it was UMass Boston running the show for the majority of the third. Goals from Katie Wilbert at the 11:47 and 14:26 marks gave the Beacons a lead they would not relinquish, and despite several good opportunities for Castleton over the final five minutes, the game would end in a 3-2 loss.
 
The Spartans' next chance to get back in the win column comes Friday, January 14 when they head to New Hampshire to take on Plymouth State in a home-and-away series against the Panthers. Puck-drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.