WILLIAMSTOWN, MA—3 goals from 3 different
players helped the Ephs to their second win of the season, as
Williams downed non-conference rival Utica this afternoon,
3-1.
For the second straight game, the Ephs got on the board first.
Sophomore forward Cristina Bravi
(Montreal, QC) picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, then
skated it up the right boards for a 2-on-1 with Kristen Tubbs
(Garden City, NY). After drawing the Pioneer defender, Bravi slid a
pass across to Tubbs, who ripped a high shot just under the
crossbar to put Williams up 1-0 with 13:24 left to play in the
first.
Less than two minutes later, Utica recorded their best scoring
opportunity of the period. A Pioneer tested Eph netminder Rachel Nguyen
(Hermosa Beach, CA) from close range, who deflected the initial
shot back into the slot. Utica kept the puck in the crease,
resulting in a pileup of Williams defenders and Pioneer forwards,
but the Ephs were somehow able to keep the puck out of the net.
A few penalties on the Ephs and Pioneers gave each team several
powerplay opportunities, but solid defending by both squads kept
the remainder of the period scoreless. Williams had a brief 5-on-3
advantage toward the end of the frame, but Utica managed to deny
the Ephs' opportunities.
A back-and-forth battle in the middle frame gave both teams good
scoring chances. The Ephs outshot the Pioneers 10-3, but the lack
of penalties on either team meant even strength throughout the
period.
The second period remained scoreless until Gabrielle
Vukasin (Princeton, NJ) upped the Ephs' lead to 2-0 with 3:40
remaining. On a botched Utica breakout, the puck slid loose into
the slot, where it was picked up by Vukasin. The sophomore forward
carried the puck in closer for a 1-on-1 with Pioneer keeper
Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY), then wristed a high shot over Hamel's
shoulder.
"The line of Tubbs, Bravi, and Vukasin has been playing very
well together the past few games," Williams head coach Meghan
Gillis remarked, as each player recorded a score in tonight's
game.
The final frame featured strong play from both teams, with each
squard recording a goal. An early opportunity for the Ephs came
with about eight minutes left in the game, when freshman Alyssa Veil (Eden
Prairie, MN) forced a turnover in the neutral zone. Veil swept a
beautiful one-handed pass around a Utica defender to Haena Lee (Bethesda,
MD), who streaked up ice for a breakaway. Lee slid a low shot,
forcing Hamel to make a kick-save, who denied the Ephs their best
opportunity of the period.
Utica got on the board late in the game, taking advantage of an
Eph penalty. With 4:35 remaining in the contest, freshmen Louise
Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA) weaved around two Williams defenders
and wristed a high shot over the stick-side shoulder of
Nguyen.
With 1:03 remaining, the Ephs retaliated to finalize the score
at 3-1. Bravi notched her team-leading 3rd goal of the
season, capitalizing on a Williams powerplay. The defensive pair of
Sarah Herr
(Princeton, NJ) and Sam Weinstein
(Marblehead, MA) worked the puck around the point until Weinstein
was able to find an opening in the Utica defense and fed a pass in
to Bravi. Bravi walked in the puck, then found daylight around a
Pioneer defender to send home a high wrist shot.
Nguyen finished with 17 saves and her second win of the season
in net for the Ephs, while Hamel recorded 26 stops.
Gillis was pleased with her team's work ethic and performance
tonight. "We talked about outworking the opponent and keeping it
simple by just getting pucks and people to the net," Gillis stated,
"nothing new, but just working hard and working together as a team.
We also had the advantage of playing all our players tonight, and
having everyone work hard every time they hit the ice."
Williams' next opponent is against another non-conference foe,
St. Anselm, on December 2nd. The puck drops at 7 pm at
the Lansing-Chapman Rink.
