Williamstown, MA -- Two goals for the Camels (3-1/2-1 NESCAC) in the second period and a third in the third period gave Connecticut College the 3-0 edge over Williams (2-3/1-2) in tonight's contest.
Starting out the first period, the Camels came out with a lot of offensive pressure. They circled around the Williams net sending off shots from the point and looking for opportunities for a tip in, but goaltender
Sofia Da Silva kept her composure and watched the shots easily into her pads.
Delaney Szlezyngier and
Chloe Noxon worked in tandem up the left wing trying to get the puck into the offensive zone and create opportunities in front of the net. Szlezyngier took shots from the point and
Kelly McCarthy jumped on an opportunity right in front of the net, but Camel netminder Abby Wieczorek covered up the puck before she got the chance to find the back of the net.
Szlezyngier and
Quinn Dawson worked tirelessly in the defensive end to block up Conn's close opportunities. The defense stayed in Conn's passing lanes and interrupted shots in front of the net making it hard for the Camels to get many good looks. The Camel's Alana Burn ripped a shot at the top right corner, but Da Silva caught the puck out of midair to get the save.
Late in the first period, the Ephs found another close opportunity when
Robin Kitazono deked around her defender and took a shot from the top of the circle, but it hit the pipe.
At 1:56, the Camels struck first. After a faceoff won by Conn. Claire Sammons charged up the right wing and took a shot toward Da Silva's right side. Morgan Bronstein camped out at the crease lifted the puck over Da Silva's right shoulder as she went to cross over to the right post.
After Conn's goal, the Camels kept up the offensive pressure. Conn swarmed the front of the net trying to crowd Da Silva's vision while the Camels took shots from point.
Maddie Zack helped out Da Silva blocking up Conn's shots and putting the pressure on for the Camel's to take low angle shots.
After continued offensive pressure, Casey Godfrey won a faceoff for the Ephs, directing the puck to Melanie Conca who took a slapshot from the slot and got the puck past Da Silva's pads and put the Camels up 2-0 at 10:21.
The Ephs got the first power play opportunity of the night when a tripping penalty sent Kiley Smith to the penalty box. Williams tried to find an open lane to goal with Dawson sending the puck in from the point.
Claire Murphy tried to deflect in the puck from the slot, but Kylie McCarthy blocked up the shot. Conn continued to make it hard to get off shots, pressuring the Ephs out wide and staying in passing lanes.
"We just didn't play our game," said Eph head coach
Meghan Gillis. "I don't know if we had a shot on net in the first period. We were over complicating it, just trying to make too many plays."
With less than a minute left, the Ephs had some quality chances.
Jaelyn Keiver shot from the point and hit the post.
Anna DiChristina found the rebound out wide and sent the puck behind Wieczorek, but Kylie McCarthy got her body in front of the puck to get it out of the crease.
Kitazono again tried to get the puck to the back of the net, but McCarthy stepped up to deflect the puck away from the net. That close attempt was "just simplifying things" according to Gillis.
Just a few minutes into the third period, Murphy came in with speed picking up the puck at mid-ice and using shifty stick work to break away from her defender. She found herself with an opportunity at the slot with defenders closing in, but the puck flew just wide of the net.
At 8:59, the Camels struck again. Galen Kilfeather took a shot from the blue line where Alana Burn was screening Da Silva and was able to tip into the back of the net to add to the Camels 3-0 tally.
The Ephs knew they needed to work to create offensive pressure in order to give them a chance late in the third period. Their drive never wavered and Williams continued firing off shots on Wieczorek. With less than five minutes left, the Ephs pulled Da Silva to get an extra skater. A hooking call on Miyu Miyazaki gave Williams a 6-on-4 advantage at 17:02.
Paige Galle,
Maddie Tix and McCarthy fired off shot after shot, but Conn still managed to pressure the Ephs out wide and jam up open passing lanes.
Despite the 3-0 Camel's win, Williams outshot Conn. The Ephs took 33 shots on goal and the Camels fired off 25 shots on goal. In net,
Sofia Da Silva turned away 22 shots, while Abby Wieczorek denied 33.
The Ephs will work to find an opportunity to put the puck in the back of the net and finish on close shots. Gillis mentioned, "getting on the scoreboard is the goal for tomorrow."
Williams will rematch with the Camels tomorrow afternoon Saturday, December 3 at 3pm in Lansing Chapman Rink.
