NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. - Niagara's Shannon Moulson and Mary McKinnon combined for seven points as the host Purple Eagles earned a split of the weekend series with the Northeastern Huskies, winning 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Dwyer Arena. Moulson scored her team's first goal and assisted on two others, while McKinnon tallied Niagara's last goal and assisted on three goals.

The game began promisingly for the visiting Huskies, as senior assistant captain Crystal Rochon tallied her second goal of the season on the first shift of the game, only 29 seconds in. Assists on the tally went to freshman Chelsey Jones, who has registered a point in five consecutive games, and senior captain Amy Goodney.

The remainder of the first and second periods, however, belonged to the Purple Eagles. Seven minutes after Rochon's tally, Moulson scored the first of six consecutive Niagara goals with 14 seconds remaining on a hooking penalty to NU freshman Lindsay Berman. McKinnon registered her first assist on Moulson's goal, and she provided the only assist on teammate Kerri-Lynn O'Hara's even-strength goal at the 12:13 mark to give her team a lead it would not relinquish.

Less than a minute later, Niagara's Mallory Yorkson got her second goal of the season past NU junior netminder Sarah Belliveau on the power play, assisted by Moulson and Chelsea Donovan.

While the shots were even, 9-9, in the first period, the Purple Eagles dominated play in the second period, out-shooting the Huskies by a 15-3 margin and scoring the only two goals of the period. Niagara's Lisa Agozzino and leading scorer Frances McPhail scored 2:05 apart midway through the second period of play, giving the home team a commanding 5-1 lead after 40 minutes of hockey. McKinnon capped her excellent day 36 seconds into the third period, scoring her first of the season to give Niagara its sixth and final goal.

For the remainder of the third period, Northeastern fought hard to make the score respectable, getting two power-play tallies to account for the 6-3 final score. Sophomore Ali Bielawski scored her second of the season with the man-advantage at the 9:06 mark, taking passes from sophomore Missy Elumba and freshman Katy Applin and beating Niagara goaltender Allison Rutledge. Berman scored the team's second power-play goal of the period 4:28 later, with assists by Bielawski and Elumba. In the period, the Huskies outshot Niagara, 17-5.

Neither team played well on the penalty kill, as Niagara scored on three-of-six power plays while Northeastern converted two-of-eight man-advantage chances.

Rutledge made 26 saves for the Purple Eagles in earning the victory. Belliveau, one day after posting her first career shutout, allowed six goals on 29 shots in taking the loss.

Niagara climbs back to .500 (4-4-2) with the win, while the Huskies fall to 2-7-0 overall. Northeastern continues its season-high six-game road trip next weekend when the team returns to conference play against Vermont and Connecticut on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.