CLINTON, N.Y. -- A breakaway goal by Ellia Chiang with a minute and a half left in overtime gave Williams (3-2/2-2 NESCAC) a 2-1 win over Hamilton (4-2/2-2 NESCAC) in the second game of the two-game series this afternoon. The fast-paced back-and-forth play gave both Williams and Hamilton plenty of scoring chances, making the goaltending important in the Ephs' path to victory.
Five minutes into the first period, a loose puck behind the Continental's net was picked up by Meghan Halloran. With a scrum in front catching goaltender Sidney Molnar out of position, Halloran backhanded the puck into the net from the side of the net, giving the Ephs an early 1-0 lead.
Eph head coach Meghan Gillis mentioned, "Halloran's goal was a great way to start the day when you want to win both games on a weekend."
Eph netminder Chloe Heiting made key saves when the Continentals put on the pressure throughout the later stages of the game, allowing only one puck into the net. Even when a scrum in front of the net produced a bouncing puck in the first period, Heiting managed to deflect it away from the cage and send it out to neutral ice.
Gillis said Chloe Heiting, "Made hard saves look easy. Hamilton's offense put huge stretches of pressure on us...and Chloe was there to pick up the pieces."
Hamilton came into the second period fired up, but their energy didn't rattle the Williams defense, with Heiting making a glove save after a shot from the point to start the period. However, Brynn Puppe responded by pressuring Hamilton, deking around the defenders through center ice, and taking a backhanded shot on Molnar, forcing her to cover the puck.
The Williams defense kept their composure even when Hamilton pressured the net. Georgia Keogh made a critical defensive play when the puck bounced up off the ice and headed for the net, but Keogh knocked it down and sent it out toward the Williams offensive end.
Starting the third period, Hamilton made a run toward the net, piling up in front of Heiting, but she located the puck and saved each of the Continentals' shots.
A breakaway play by Hamilton's Nancy Loh gave her a one-on-one opportunity against Heiting. Loh took a backhand shot toward the top corner, which got past Heiting, tying the game 1-1.
The Continentals looked to score again, pressuring the Ephs' defense, but Heiting kept her cool and saved a series of shots through a screen. During the scrum in front of the net, Williams received a hooking penalty, giving Hamilton their first power play.
With Hamilton numbers up, they kept offensive pressure. The Ephs stayed calm amidst the chaos and played conservatively, killing the power play.
A penalty on the Continentals put the Ephs on the power play with five minutes left in the third period. Halloran fed Brynn Puppe up top, who shot wide. The game became a 4-on-4 when the Ephs took an interference play. Once Hamilton's penalty timed out, Hamilton went numbers up for 51 seconds, but neither team could find the back of the net on the power play.
All tied up, Williams and Hamilton went into 3-versus-3 five-minute overtime. Hamilton found some offensive opportunities early in the overtime, but Heiting and defender Delaney Szlezyngier blocked Hamilton's shots.
After a wide shot by Hamilton, Halloran passed to Ellia Chiang, who broke away through center ice. She confidently took on Molnar one-on-one and sent it to the back of the net, lifting the Ephs to a 2-1 win. Gillis noted, "The composure from Ellia as a first-year, to put that away and win the game was impressive."
On the night, the game was a competitive one. Hamilton outshot Williams 30-10. Williams' goalkeeper Chloe Heiting turned away 29 shots and Hamilton's Sidney Molnar stopped 8 shots.
The Ephs will next play on December 11 when they host William Smith College in Lansing Chapman Rink at 7 pm.
