AMHERST, MA – A second-period goal from
Ayla Abban and two third-period goals from
Marie-Eve Marleau and
Maeve Reynolds propelled the Amherst College Mammoths to a 3-1 win over the Hamilton College Continentals at Orr Rink in the Semifinals of the NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship Tournament.
The women's ice hockey team improved to a 20-5-1 overall and an 11-4-1 conference record.
The Mammoths will play at Orr Rink tomorrow at 1 p.m. for the NESCAC Finals, with the opponent to be determined by today's Semi-Final match.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- At 9:42 into the second period and on a power play, Hamilton's Lydia Bullock fought against the boards for the puck and sent it back to Abby Weiss. Weiss slipped it back to Bullock by the right face-off circle for her to collect the puck and send a wrist shot toward the back corner of the net, putting the Continentals on the board.
- Amherst's Cara Mancini received the puck in the Mammoth's zone off of a clear from the Continentals. Mancini used the boards to send the puck to Anna Baxter, who deflected it towards Abban. Abban skated up with the puck just behind the blue line and sent it towards Hamilton's net for the puck to slip by the pads of Continental goaltender Evie Sheridan with 1:21 remaining in the second period.
- Off the face-off and on a Mammoth power play, Amherst's Annabel Raffin shot the puck toward the net by the left point. Sheridan made the save, but off the rebound, Reynolds possessed the puck in the crease and flicked it into goal to break the even score at 4:16 into the final period.
- By the boards, Alyssa Xu passed up to Marleau to skate up the ice with the puck. Marleau took the shot by the right post so Reynolds and Xu could scramble for the rebound in the crease. Coming in from the opposite post, Marleau captured the rebound and lifted it into the back of the net with 7:33 remaining in regulation.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Amherst outshot Hamilton 39-20
- The Mammoths went 1-3 on power plays, whereas the Continentals went 1-4.
- Amherst won 35 of the 52 face-offs, Baxter winning 16 of the 18 she took, and Reynolds 14 of her 21.
- In goal, Natalie Stott saved 19 of the 20 shots she faced on net.