Geneva, NY -- Three goals in the first period set the tone for the Williams (4-4/1-3 NESCAC)
4-1 win over William Smith (6-6-1/4-4 NEHC) in the out of conference away game tonight.
Off the bat, Williams controlled the play. Anna DiChristina fired from the high slot, forcing Erin Murray to make the save. Claire Murphy followed up by getting the puck at the top of the left circle and sending a strong shot that veered wide off the right post.
Maddie Tix picked up the puck at center ice, rushed down the left wing and charged in toward the net shooting right over the shoulder of Murray to give the Ephs the early 1-0 lead at 6:12.
William Smith's Brittany Foster took an interference call in the Heron's defensive zone at 7:22 to give the Ephs a power play. Chloe Noxon for an open opportunity off the line change picking up the puck, skating into the slot. She gave a quick fake before shooting
Just as the power play was set to expire, the Ephs organized shooting pucks from the point. Paige Galle took a slapshot from the left point with Ephs skaters crowding the net. Jaelyan Kiever redirected Galle's slap for a goal at 9:22 lifting Williams to 2-0.
At 14:40, the Ephs went up 3-0. Galle controlled the puck at the left point again and sent Katie Armstrong the puck. Armstrong took a slapshot through bodies and Leah Rubinshteyn got her stick on the puck for the tip into the net past Murray.
Scoring early helped to set the tone in the game, and "[William Smith] had a grade a scoring chance late in the first and Erin made a huge save there" said Head coach Meghan Gillis. "Scoring early and Erin making those key saves are huge."
The second period started forth with play up-and-down the ice, but the Ephs generated some offense mid-way through the period. Williams created traffic in front of the net, while DiChristina sent a shot from the right point. The Ephs found the rebound and tried to jam it home, but Murray blocked the opportunity.
Off the faceoff, the puck bounded off the boards. Emma Faso found the puck on the boards and gave a centering pass where Kayla Ketchabaw took a one-timer and sent it past Erin Pye for the Heon's first goal of the night and closing in on the Ephs 3-1 lead at 9:50.
At 10:13 a penalty on Emily Cataldo for a slashing gave the Ephs a power play opportunity to respond. Quinn Dawson had a close attempt winding up and blasting a puck toward the net, but Murray turned it away.
With just under five minutes left, Lucie Bond rushed down the left wing and tried to center a pass. A Heron stick interrupted the pass leaving an open puck and forcing Murray to dive out and cover the puck before Williams could jump on the opportunity.
Just thirty seconds into the third period, Kelly McCarthy charged down the left wing. McCarthy looked like she was going to loop around the net, but turned back and tried the backhand on Murray. The shot rebounded into the slot and Murary covered it up before Williams could capitalize.
Cataldo had a clean breakaway in the Williams zone with no Ephs in sight, but Pye stood to the task, easily watching the puck into her pads and keeping the Herons at bay.
At 11:56, Williams went numbers up off a tripping call on Cataldo. Dawson and Galle worked the puck at the point. Galle sent off the puck into traffic, but Murray knocked away the puck as the Ephs tried to the rebound.
William Smith pulled Murray for an extra skater. The Herons kept pressure in the Williams defensive end, but Pye stayed calm watching the puck into her pads and saving the Ephs shots.
With just six seconds left, McCarthy sent the puck the length of the ice for an empty netter to seal the Ephs 4-1 win.
The Ephs had four different goal scorers tonight, with 7 players factoring in on the goals which speaks to the depth of the team. "Different names across the score sheet is really important. The more depth the better," mentioned Gillis.
Williams outshot the Herons tonight with shots tallying 40 to 22 respectively. Between the pipes, netminder Erin Pye turned away all 22 shots, while keeper Erin Murray saved 36 shots.
The Ephs and Herons will rematch tomorrow afternoon, Sunday December 11th at 3:30 in the Geneva Recreation Complex Skating Rink.
