BOSTON, Mass. – The Castleton women's hockey team continued their red-hot stretch of hockey Friday night, capitalizing on a last-second goal from Emily Harris to clinch a crucial 3-2 road win over the Beacons.
 
The Spartans (12-9-2, 10-6-1 NEHC) never trailed in the contest and have now won five of their last six with one game left in the regular season.
 
It was Harris who opened up the scoring halfway through the opening frame for Castleton, giving the Spartans the early lead for the third consecutive game. Darby Palisi won the puck in the corner and found Emery Bonner at the top of UMass Boston's zone. The freshman controlled the puck with her skate before beating two Beacon defenders and finding a cutting Harris, who backhanded the puck up and in for the score.
 
Castleton had a chance to double their lead in the first after going on the powerplay at the 14:49 mark but were unable to convert and would enter the first break up 1-0.
 
Able to capitalize on the man-advantage was UMass Boston, who found the equalizer just under 10 minutes into the second period on their first powerplay of the evening. Responding for the Spartans, however, was captain Courtney Gauthier, who tallied her fourth powerplay goal of the season with two minutes remaining in the frame to give Castleton back the lead.
 
In a five-on-three, Ryanne Mix found Bonner, who quickly played the puck to Gauthier at the left circle. The graduate student wasted no time, sending a wrister near post that snuck by for her team-best ninth goal of the season.
 
The Beacons (11-12-0, 10-7-0) would respond once again 12 minutes into the final period, but Harris made sure there would be no overtime. With time winding down head coach Tim McAuliffe pulled goalie Kirsten DiCicco, giving Castleton the player advantage once again. After working the puck around the ice, Gauthier took it to the slot and sent the puck low toward net. Waiting in front was Harris, who put her stick to the ground, letting the puck bounce high off of it and over the pads of UMass Boston's netminder for the score.
 
The goal was Harris' eighth on the season and fourth in as many games, giving the Spartans a crucial win over the Beacons as playoff seeding begins to finalize.
 
Castleton wraps up their regular season Saturday, February 12 with a rematch against Johnson & Wales. Puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m.