WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Senior captain
Chloe Noxon of the No. 9-ranked Williams College women's ice hockey team finished with two goals and one assist, as the third-seeded Ephs defeated sixth-seeded Wesleyan, 5-3, during the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC Tournament Saturday afternoon at Lansing Chapman Rink.
First-year defender
Reese Luber recorded her second multi-point game of the season with two assists for the Ephs (17-3-5, 9-3-4 NESCAC), while sophomore forward
Charlotte Fetherston (1 goal, 1 assist) and senior assistant captain
Lucie Bond (1 goal, 1 assist) were pivotal factors for Williams. The Ephs will compete in the semifinals of the conference playoffs and they will learn their opponent and the date and location of the matchup Saturday evening.
Dylan Green led the way for the Cardinals (7-16-2, 4-11-1 NESCAC) with a two-goal performance.
The Ephs scored in a variety of ways to build a 3-0 advantage late in the second period, as first-year forward
Savana Littlewood scored an even-strength goal with 7:39 left in the first. Noxon and Bond found the back of the net on short-handed and power-play goals, respectively, at the 10:43 and 17:09 marks of the second.
Green did everything she could to keep the Cardinals within striking distance, as her back-to-back goals cut Williams' lead to 3-2 with 12:01 remaining in the third. A power-play tally by Aimee Seppenwolde evened the game at 3-3 with 5:34 on the scoreboard.
Fetherston buried the game-winning goal on the power play with 2:30 on the clock, and then Noxon recorded an empty-net tally with 1:03 remaining to punch the Ephs' ticket to the Final Four of the NESCAC Tournament.
Williams held a 46-32 advantage in shots. The hosts went 2 for 5 on the power play and the visitors finished 2 of 6 on the advantage, as half the goals in the game were scored on the power play. The Ephs went 39-33 in the faceoff circle, with senior forward
Leah Rubinshteyn delivering with a 12-4 record. Bond, Noxon and first-year defender
Laney Mead finished with plus-two efforts.
