WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass – Ariana Bourque netted a pair of goals and Rachel Kennedy scored the equalizer as the Bowdoin women's ice hockey team came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie Williams 3-3 on Friday night. 

The Polar Bears and Ephs came into the series opener with matching conference records and will compete on Saturday with 4-3-2 marks in NESCAC action. Bowdoin is 8-5-4 overall, while Williams is 7-7-2.

Williams got on the board with a power play goal just 1:13 into the evening's action to take the early lead. Kearan Burke got the Ephs started and Michaela Levine doubled the host's lead at the midway point of the period.  Burke converted on a rebound opportunity to give her team the 1-0 edge, followed by a back post goal from Levine. Sara Lehman, who was credited with an assist on Levine's goal, put away Williams' third of the game just over six minutes into the middle frame off a wrap around. Trailing 3-0, the Bowdoin offense kicked into gear with a pair of Bourque goals in the second half of the period. Bourque knocked in her first of the game at 10:06, converting on the power play, and tallied her second four minutes later as she deflected a shot by Brigit Bergin. The Polar Bears headed into the second intermission trailing Williams 3-2.

Kennedy tied the game with an even strength goal five minutes into the final period, as both teams held on for the remainder of regulation to force overtime.  Maddie Baird collected the puck in Bowdoin's defensive zone and found a streaking Rachel Kennedy at the Ephs' blue line with a perfectly timed pass.  Kennedy, alone on the breakaway, went right to beat the Ephs' Christina Cleroux tying the game at 3. Beth Findley turned away several promising scoring opportunities for the Ephs to close out the period, matched by Cleroux on the opposite end. The two teams played five minutes of bonus hockey, including a power play for Bowdoin, but neither team was able to convert and take the win. 

Findley made 24 stops in net for Bowdoin including one save in overtime. Cleroux made 19 saves in regulation and stopped three additional shots in overtime.

Bowdoin and Williams faceoff again tomorrow afternoon beginning at 3:00 p.m.