MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Senior goaltender
Erin Pye made a game-high 39 saves for the No. 8-ranked Williams College women's ice hockey team during a 3-0 setback to No. 5 Amherst in the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament Saturday evening at Chip Kenyon '85 Arena on the campus of Middlebury College.
The Ephs (17-4-5, 9-3-4 NESCAC) will learn on Sunday, March 8, at 8:30 p.m. during the NCAA selection show if they receive an at-large bid into the national tournament. The third-seeded Ephs defeated sixth-seeded Wesleyan (7-16-2, 4-11-1 NESCAC), 5-3, during the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Lansing Chapman Rink. The 17 wins so far this season are the most for the program since the 2019-20 season.
The second-seeded Mammoths (18-2-6, 9-1-6 NESCAC) will compete against fourth-seeded and No. 10 Colby (18-6-1, 10-5-1 NESCAC) in the championship game Sunday at 2 p.m. from Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. The Mules defeated top-seeded and No. 6 Middlebury, 2-1, in triple overtime Saturday in the first semifinal matchup.
Pye stopped 39 of the 41 shots she faced Saturday for a .951 save percentage. Senior goalie Natalie Stott earned the shutout and win in net for Amherst, making 26 saves.
Natalie Fu posted the game-winning goal at the 7:07 mark of the second period for the Mammoths. Emily Hohmann and Bea Flynn scored at the 8:46 and 19:31 marks of the third, respectively, with the second one being an empty-net tally.
Williams killed off both of Amherst's power plays, while sophomore
Zoe Rosenberg and senior captain
Chloe Noxon recorded five and four shots on net, respectively. Noxon, first-year
Grace Johnson and sophomore
Skyler Moore each blocked three shots. The Ephs won 41-of-80 faceoffs, as senior
Jaelyn Keiver registered an 11-2 record.
