Women’s hockey wins at home to advance to NESCAC semifinals
No. 2-seeded men’s team falls to No. 7 Williams
Junior Elena Gualtieri scored twice in the opening period to lead the No. 2 Connecticut College women's ice hockey team to 3-1 victory over No. 7 Colby College in a NESCAC quarterfinal matchup Saturday afternoon at Conn’s Dayton Arena.
The Camels (15-5-5) dominated the first period, taking the first 13 shots of the contest and forcing Colby goalie Cierra San Roman to make 11 saves in the opening seven minutes. The Camels eventually cashed in at the 6:55 mark; captain Lily Connolly ’18 won a faceoff from the right circle and sent the puck back to Ashley Carbone ’20, who unleashed a shot that was redirected into the net by Gualtieri.
Less than five minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead on a failed clear attempt by the Mules. Gualtieri stole away a mishandled pass in the Colby defensive zone and blitzed through the middle to add her second marker of the game at 11:05. The Camels took a 2-0 lead and a 23-5 shot advantage into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, Connecticut College put the game away early in the third when sophomore Lauren Helm batted down the puck with her glove, skated along the left side of the boards and slipped the puck to an open Erin Dillon ’21 through a crowd of Mules. The rookie then wristed a shot that slipped past San Roman to give the Camels a 3-0 cushion.
In the waning minutes of the game, the Mules pulled San Roman, and Anna Cosentino drove through traffic to pot a loose puck for Colby. Conn goalie Bailey Mertz ’20 came away with three saves down the stretch to clinch the game for the Camels.
With the victory, the Camels notched 15 wins for the third consecutive season, tying the program record. The team will next take on No. 3 Amherst College in the NESCAC semifinal round at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at Middlebury College.
The men’s ice hockey team also hosted a NESCAC quarterfinal game this weekend. The team won 11 of its last 13 contests to earn the No. 2 seed—its highest ever—going into the conference championship tournament. But No. 7 Williams scored three unanswered goals in the second period and held off a late charge by the Camels to secure a 4-2 victory. Jacob Moreau ’20 and Ryan Petti ’20 scored goals in the loss; goalie Connor Rodericks ’20 notched 32 saves.
