Morrisville, NY - The Williams College Ephs (5-2-0, 0-2-0 NESCAC) picked up their fifth consecutive win today over the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs (5-4-0, 2-2-0 SUNYAC) in a thrilling 3-2 overtime contest.
By the Numbers
- The Ephs recorded 42 shots on goal, while the Mustangs had 39 shots on goal.
- The Ephs played disciplined, giving up no penalties, while also going 1/3 on the power play.
- Erin Pye recorded 37 saves in the victory.
Game Recap
- After the Ephs won a face off in their offensive zone, Lucie Bond found herself in a battle for the puck behind the net. Bond used her physicality to win the puck and find teammate Sophia Hoppe, who slipped the puck past the Mustangs' goaltender to take an early 1-0 lead (1:25).
- The Mustangs tied the game in the second period when Hailee Eason fired a pass over to Alexa Spiers in front of the crease. Spiers was able to get the puck off her stick quickly, and found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 (5:13).
- On their first power play opportunity of the contest, the Ephs exemplified adept passing: Leah Rubinshteyn passed the puck across the ice to Claire Murphy, whose slap-shot was deflected into the back of the net by a well-positioned Jaelyn Keiver, giving the Ephs a 2-1 lead (8:10).
- Minutes later, the Ephs received their second power play chance of the game, and despite shots on goal by Quinn Dawson and Sophia Hoppe, the Mustangs held the deficit to one (17:28).
- Early into the third period, after Spiers won a face off for the Mustangs in their own offensive zone, Eason took the puck herself from the boards, firing a shot from the circle that beat Pye to tie the game at 2-2 (5:42).
- Late in the period, the Ephs had an opportunity to win the game on the power play. However, the Mustangs' penalty kill unit excelled and the Ephs were unable to capitalize (16:50).
- The game ended in thrilling in fashion. After the Mustangs won the puck along the boards, junior defenseman Claire Murphy skated into her offensive zone in an attempt to win the puck back. During the battle, the puck was knocked to Chloe Noxon, who fired a quick pass down the ice to find Murphy on a breakaway opportunity. Murphy, one-on-one with the Mustangs' Sydney Canham, snapped a wrist shot bottom left, scoring to secure the Ephs' fifth consecutive win.
After the win, Head Coach of the Ephs, Meghan Gillis stated, "Just really proud of our team and the way we finished out the 2024 portion of our season and excited to see what we can bring in 2025. Erin was key keeping us in the game in critical games and I thought Claire Murphy stepped up in both regulation and obviously in OT to get us the win."
The Ephs first game of the new year will be against the Trinity College Bantams in conference play, with the match scheduled for January 4th at 3PM in Hartford, CT.
