EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The New England Women's Hockey Alliance regular-season champions are one win away from the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

The top-seeded LIU women's hockey team defeated fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce, 2-1, in sudden-death overtime in a conference semifinal game on Wednesday afternoon at Northwell Health Ice Center.

Mikayla Lantto scored the game winner 40 seconds into the extra session.

The Sharks will host the winner-take-all NEWHA championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m. against second-seeded Saint Anselm for the league's first-ever automatic NCAA bid.

"Maggie Culp and Sarah Rourke were just pounding behind the net,"  Lantto said. "They got me the puck in a really good spot. I just put it to the net, and luckily it went in. It was a team win, for sure."
 
LIU had led virtually all of regulation on Wednesday, Jeannie Wallner scoring 1:48 into the game.

However, with its net empty, Franklin Pierce tallied the equalizer with 78 seconds remaining in the third period.

Regardless, the Sharks will host the NEWHA championship game on Saturday.

"It's really exciting for us," Lantto said. "We're really pumped. It's nice we get to compete for the championship and then hopefully further on."

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