HARTFORD, CT—A late goal from Trinity sophomore Lauren Glynn (Arlington, MA) tipped the hosts over the visiting Ephs, 2-1. Williams split their second NESCAC series of the season, with this afternoon's loss offset by last night's close victory.
A battle from the start, neither team would find the back of the net in the first period. Despite Williams' 7-4 outshooting of the Bantams, it was Trinity who was presented with the best scoring opportunity in the opening frame, as a Williams penalty provided the sole powerplay advantage of the period. First-year Chloe Billadeau (Chaska, MN) and the Eph penalty-kill unit were able to deny both Bantam shots, and at the end of the first 20 minutes the contest remained scoreless.
Early in the middle frame, however, the Bantams would claim the first lead of the night, thanks to a Macauley Bauer (Sheboygan, WI) goal. 1:30 into the frame, Bauer picked up a loose puck in front of the net and found paydirt, slipping a shot past Billadeau to give Trinity the 1-0 edge.
Undeterred, the Ephs would retaliate less than 4 minutes later to knot up the game once again. Williams sophomore Cristina Bravi (Montreal, QC) received some help from senior Kristen Tubbs (Garden City, NY) and found the back of the net for her 5th goal of the season, a score that tied the game at 1-1. Williams held two man-up chances in the frame, bookending Bravi's goal, but the Ephs could not capitalize on either, and the game remained deadlocked heading into the final frame.
The third period featured back-and-forth, hard-fought play. Both teams battled to determine the outcome of the game, each putting roughly the same number of shots on cage. Although Williams held a 14-7 advantage in face-offs, the Bantams would eventually control the puck long enough to find the back of the net once more.
With 4:10 remaining in the contest, Glynn put home the final goal of the afternoon. With help from seniors Payson Sword (Princeton, NJ) and Brigitte Cellino (Buffalo, NY), Glynn managed to elude Billadeau to give the Bantams the final 2-1 edge. With 1:13 left to play, Williams coach Meghan Gillis called a time-out to try to help the Ephs regain their focus for the final minute, but the Bantams managed to hold on for the win.
In back-to-back appearances for the Ephs, Billadeau posted 39 saves in net, 18 of which came today. Gillis had high praise for the freshman keeper, remarking, "Chloe had another great game. When they were getting scoring opportunities they were getting good chances, not just putting shots on net."
With a home game against New England College on Tuesday night and two more next weekend at Hamilton, Gillis emphasized the quick turnaround time for the Ephs. Now posting a 4-6 overall record, Williams is tied for 3rd in the NESCAC standings with Hamilton and Bowdoin. The Ephs will look to claim their fifth win of the season against visiting NEC on Tuesday, with gametime scheduled for 7 pm.
