Williamstown, MA – The Ephs defensive unit secured the win for Williams (1-2/0-2 NESCAC) tonight with the Ephs cruising past Plymouth State (4-4-1/2-2-0 NEHC) 7-0. Goalie
Chloe Heiting recorded her first shutout of the season and the defensive unit really stepped up tonight on both ends of the ice. The Ephs defense held Plymouth State to eight shots on goal and six of the seven goals came from defenders.
Eph head coach
Meghan Gillis discussed her team's improvement, "It was getting the feel for the game back from the six-hundred plus days off. We got some more reps and played a little bit more cohesive."
Williams offense attacked the net from the start of the first period. On the first power play of the night, Ella Chiang recovered her shot off Amelia Julian's pads. Chiang sent the puck to Brynne Puppe who passed to
Meghan Halloran. Halloran then took a wrist shot top shelf to score with three seconds left to go in the power play for the first goal of the night.
Again, Williams found an opportunity to score.
Quinn Dawson skated through the neutral zone and passed to Bri Hill up top, who created space by moving the Panthers goalie. Her blocked shot resulted in a power play. Lifting the Ephs up 2-0, Halloran set up
Brynn Puppe who took a slapshot from the point for her first goal of the season.
In another attempt to score, Bri Hill's crafty stick skills allowed her to maneuver around her defender for a pass to Robin Kitazano, who got it by the goalie for her second goal of the season extending their lead to 3-0.
A change in goaltenders could not stop the Ephs in the second period. After a pass from
Christina Halloran to Bri Hill,
Georgia Keogh slid the puck across the crease to score her first career goal.
The Ephs defensive unit didn't let much action touch goaltender
Chloe Heiting. Even when Georgia McLellan's series of shots got through defenders, they proved to be no match for Heiting.
Coach Gillis noted that the defense "looked at improving on line rushes against and mitigate chances coming into our zone."
A tripping penalty on the Panthers put Williams a player up. With 58 seconds to go
Brynn Puppe scored the Ephs' third power play goal of the night making the score 5-0. After a shot off the post,
Brynn Puppe recovered the puck and put it past Olivia Petito for her second goal of the night.
Mid-way into the third period, Keogh scored her second goal lifting Williams to 6-0. With a quick skate out of the defensive zone and crafty stickwork to eliminate defenders, Keogh made her way to the left of Petito for a wrist shot across the crease.
With three minutes to go in the game,
Delaney Szlezyngier took a wraparound shot. The puck got loose after deflecting off Petito's pads, but Szlezyngier managed to knock the puck into the net for the Ephs final goal of the night securing their 7-0 win.
On the night, Williams outshot Plymouth State 46 to 8. Ephs goalie
Chloe Heiting denied all 8 of the Panthers' shots. Plymouth's goalies split time with Amelia Julian saving 25 shots in the first period, and Olivia Petito saving 14 in the second and third periods.
Gillis is excited about her team's momentum gained tonight, saying "the shutout is great headed into the little break we have."
The Ephs will matchup against Hamilton for their first away game on Friday, December 3
rd at 7pm in Clinton, NY.
