Ephs Down Panthers 7-0 Behind Second Period Offensive Eruption

By the Numbers

• The Ephs 7-0 victory is their biggest win of the season. 

• 6 different players scored for the Ephs this game, including the first collegiate career goal for Isa Healey.

• Senior goaltender Amanda Lackmann recorded 16 saves in her first start of the season, securing her first shutout of her collegiate career.

• The Ephs were 1 for 2 on the power play, while the Panthers went 0 for 1.

Game Recap

Plymouth, NH - The Williams College Ephs (4-1-0, 3-1-0 NESCAC) defeated the Plymouth State University Panthers (3-6-0, 3-3 LEC) by a score of 7-0, their biggest victory of the season thus far. 

Midway through the first period, a Panthers turnover proved costly for the home side as the Ephs took advantage of the mistake. Skating through the neutral zone, sophomore forward Leah Rubinshteyn passed the puck to Lucie Bond, whose shot was turned away. Fortunately for the Ephs, Rubinshteyn found herself in good position on the left side of the cage, rebounding the puck and scoring the first of what would be 7 goals on the day for the Ephs (9:52). 

The second period was characterized by an offensive eruption for the Ephs, who went on to record 5 goals during this period. Less than a minute into the second period, Jaelyn Keiver won a face off for the Ephs in their own defensive zone. Rubinshteyn, finding herself with the puck, skated the entire length of the ice before snapping a wrist shot over the shoulder of Panthers' goalie Amelia Julian, giving the Ephs a 2-0 lead (00:23). 

The Ephs once again found the back of the net on their first power play opportunity of the afternoon. They made quick work, scoring seven seconds into the power play. A great pass from Quinn Dawson set up a Robin Kitazono slap shot into the top right of the net, giving the Ephs a commanding 3-0 lead (6:48). Showing no signs of stopping, the Ephs crashed on a loose puck in the crease, and senior forward Claire DeVries was able to tip the puck into the net, giving the Ephs a 4-0 lead (7:51). Sophomore defender Claire Murphy replicated the stellar play of her namesake and recorded a goal of her own: skating from the defensive zone, Murphy found herself on the left side of the cage, and her initial shot was turned away by Julian. Murphy got her rebound, re-positioned herself near the point, and fired off a wrist shot that appeared to be knocked in by a Panthers skater, giving the Ephs a 5-0 lead (8:43). Capping off the second period for the Ephs was first year forward Isa Healey, recording her first collegiate career goal. Stealing the puck from a Panthers defender, Healey found herself alone with Julian on a breakaway opportunity and beat her top right to give the Ephs a 6-0 advantage heading into the intermission (16:40).

The third and final period was relatively uneventful in comparison to the second, with the Ephs recording the period's lone goal. As the game wound down, the Panthers pulled Julian, and Jill Parsons capitalized by scoring an impressive empty net goal: on one knee, from the neutral zone (18:27).

Eph head coach Meghan Gillis was very satisfied with her team's performance, stating, "I thought people made really nice passing plays that allowed things to open up to score goals. It was great to see Lackmann get her first college shutout after we gave up a couple breakaways against her. It was also nice to see first year Isa Healey score her first college goal."

The Ephs will look to continue their win streak when they travel to Beverly, MA to face off against Endicott College tomorrow at 3 PM.