Box
Score
BRUNSWICK, ME – The women's ice hockey met up
against one of the toughest opponents they will see all season in
the Polar Bears of Bowdoin College, and the Ephs came up a goal
short of pulling out a third period comeback as the NESCAC rivals
played to a 2-2 tie. While they remain undefeated after four games,
Williams now sits alone at third place in the league standings at
3-0-1 behind Middlebury (3-0-0) and Amherst (2-0-0). The Polar
Bears remain winless in conference play at 0-1-1.
“The biggest difference tonight wasn't so much our
effort but the team that we were up against,” remarked Eph
head coach Marissa O'Neil, who was an accredited skater for
the Polar Bears from 2001-2005. “I'd say that Bowdoin
is the strongest team we've seen so far this season and
they're definitely the most aggressive. They play a different
system than what we've been up against in the early going and
it was a definitely a more difficult challenge for our team.
“They play a much more constricting style in their defensive
zone than what we've seen, so it took a little time for our
players to adjust to that. We made the necessary changes to our
strategy and I thought we had better puck control and a more
sustained attack as the game progressed.”
Senior forward Torrey Taussig was the centerpiece of the Eph
offensive attack this afternoon, as she netted both scores for
Williams, including the game's first goal, a power-play
strike from the far post that came at 16:39 of the second period.
Sophomore Kristen Tubbs found Taussig in open space to nab her 3rd
assist of the season.
Bowdoin—who outshot the Ephs 27 to 26 and who matched
Williams' intensity for the entire sixty-five
minutes—would respond before the end of the period when
senior forward Kate Pokrass connected with sophomore winger Alex
Fahey for the equalizer at 16:39. A streaking Fahey managed to chip
the puck over the shoulder of the Ephs' stud goalkeeper Sara
Plunkett. It was the first puck she has allowed past the red line
this year, and dating back to the final game of last season, it was
the first score she surrendered in 208 minutes and 26 seconds.
Plunkett would have one more shot slip by her in the opening
minutes of the third period during a man-advantage for the Polar
Bears. This time it was sophomore forward Dominique Lozzi who
received a pass and elevated into the top corner of the pipes to
give Bowdoin their first and only lead. Senior defenseman Shana
Natelson and junior forward Jill Campbell were credited with
assists.
Later in the period, Natelson's diving effort knocked aside
Eph sophomore defenseman Kate Foley's slapper from the point,
but the loose puck came to Taussig who buried her second goal of
the game and the season. The veteran, who is usually not on the
receiving end of the scoring, now leads Williams in points with 2
goals and 4 assists.
“I think our first line and our power-play lines generated a
lot of chances for us throughout the game,” said
O'Neil. “Torrey happened to be in the right spot at the
right time for several of those opportunities…and she made
the most of them. She's having a real nice start to her
senior year and that's what you want to see from your
leaders.”
Neither side was able to find the back of the net in the closing
minutes of regulation, although the Ephs had the best chance. With
just two minutes left on the clock, rookie netminder Kayla Lessard
came up huge for Bowdoin as she denied a completely unguarded
Allison Page '11, who came flying in from the blue line. Page
was unable to convert the score, sending the contest into overtime
and eventually into a 2-2 tie.
“This game was our first real test because it was such a
tough team and because it was the first time we had to come back
this season,” recognized O'Neil. “We didn't
allow ourselves to get roughed up by those goals. If anything it
lit a fire under us that was visible from the way we skated in that
final period. We had our chances in the overtime as well but just
weren't able to capitalize. Even still, it's the kind
of response you like to see out of your players as the
coach.”
While Williams did not come away with the win, O'Neil could
not complain about the level of aggression and execution the team
in her first return as a head coach to her alma mater. The rookie
coach will continue to expect this type of effort as the season
continues, including in the squad's next matchup against a
very formidable R.I.T group, currently ranked 7th in the USCHO
D-III polls. The action will begin this Saturday at 7:30 PM in
Williamstown.
