Box
Score
Photo
Galley
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - The Ephwomen certainly had
their fair share of opportunities in this afternoon's game against
conference rival Bowdoin, including three separate two-man
advantages, but they were only able to convert on their final
5-on-3 with 25 seconds left in regulation in a 2-1 loss to the
Polar Bears. Williams now finds itself in a three-game slide (all
losses coming in conference games), falling to 6-11-1 and 4-6-1 in
conference play. Bowdoin, who was in the midst of their own
three-game conference losing streak, are now 4-10-1 on the year,
with a 2-8-1 conference record.
The last-minute Williams goal was slapped in from a side-angle
by senior forward Sam Tarnasky off a long pass from the point by
sophomore defenseman Allison Page. By pulling goaltender Sara
Plunkett out of the game for the last couple minutes of the game,
the Ephs continued to skate with a two-man advantage for the final
25 ticks, but a checking penalty with thirteen seconds to go ended
their hopes of tying the game at two.
Both Bowdoin goals were products of fortunate bounces. The
first strike came midway through a down-tempo second period, when
sophomore forward Michaela Calnan threw a blind shot at the Eph net
from the blue line which deflected off a body in front for her
second score of the season. The second goal was registered soon
after a Bowdoin penalty kill, a Polar Bear dump-in took a strange
bounce off the boards behind Plunkett and ricocheted right in front
of the Eph net. The wobbling puck was swatted in by freshman
forward Katie Herter for her third goal on the year.
Although their sole goal came in the last-minute, Williams had a
decent amount of offensive pressure throughout the contest. This
pressure caused Bowdoin to commit eight penalties, and gave the
Ephs almost a full two-minute two-man advantage in the second
period, as well as another 50-second 5-on-3 with about three
minutes left in the third. But the Polar Bears and their freshman
goalie Sage Santangelo fended off Williams brilliantly, as
Santangelo made 27 saves in her near-shutout performance.
Plunkett also had a solid game in goal for Williams, making a
number of big saves to keep the Ephs close. Williams also played
their most disciplined game all year, only committing two penalties
in the entire sixty-minutes. Despite all these factors working in
their favor, the squad could not come away with a point.
Williams will travel to Northfield, Vermont this coming Saturday
to battle Norwich, a team with a 10-7-1 record this season. Puck
drops at 3pm. The Ephs will have to put this weekend behind
them and focus on the coming weekend if they want to make a
late-season run.
