BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Kristina Shanahan scored the game-winner early in the final period as the NCAA's University of Vermont edged the Martlets 3-2 in women's hockey exhibition play at Gutterson Fieldhouse, Friday.

The victory improved the Catamounts' overall record against McGill to 2-8-1 since their first meeting in 1998.

"I don't think we were quite as sharp in practice this week as we needed to be and that was reflected in the first period," said Martlets head coach Peter Smith. "But I give the girls credit: the second period was better -- they battled back in the second -- and I thought the third was quite good. We just seemed to be chasing the puck a lot in the game tonight."

Shanahan's power-play marker at 4:06 of the third period gave Vermont a commanding 3-0 lead but the Martlets rallied for two unanswered goals in a late comeback effort and almost tied the game on a buzzer-beater but their final shot was a split-second too late.

"It was a good third period but we just started too slow," said Smith, who refused to blame it on bus legs after an almost three-hour excursion across the border. "We've been pretty good this year but that was a game we did not play for the full 60 minutes, so that's what happens."

UVM's Taylor Willard had opened the scoring at 11:38 of the first, and after a scoreless middle period, teammate Ève-Audrey Picard doubled the advantage to 2-0 just 16 seconds into the final frame.

McGill freshman Kellyane Lecours of Victoriaville, Que., tipped in a shot by Toronto's Emilia Cotter on the power play at 7:17 of the final frame to narrow the gap to 3-1. Jade Downie-Landry of St. Jean sur Richelieu, Que., then deked past a UVM defender and scored to make it a one-goal game with 4:30 remaining. McGill pulled goalie Tricia Deguire for the extra attacker with 54 seconds to go, but Catamounts netminder Sydney Scobee shut the door on a flurry of late chances to preserve the win.

Deguire, a 5-foot-8 sophomore from Sherbrooke, Que., stopped 22 of 25 shots in defeat. Scobee made 11 saves on 13 shots though the last 27:50 of the game after replacing starter Melissa Black midway through the second. Black turned away all 11 pucks faced.

McGill was 1-for-3 on the power play and Vermont was 1-for-4.

The Martlets now head to St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y., for a 3 p.m.start on Saturday (Sept. 30) in an extremely rare same-school doubleheader against an NCAA opponent as the McGill Redmen will take on the Saints' men's side at 7 p.m.

Vermont (1-0) opens their regular season against Providence College on Oct. 1.

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