PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Meghan Hamilton (Walpole, Mass.) punched in her fourth goal of the season, but William Smith College held off Plymouth State University, 4-1, in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) women's ice hockey showdown at Hanaway Rink on Saturday to spoil PSU's Senior Day celebration.
After a quick score from the Herons, Hamilton responded by guiding the puck between the left pipe and the William Smith goaltender, with assists from freshman
Libby Carter (Franklin, Mass.) and sophomore
Lauren McNeil (Ottawa, Ontario).
The Panthers couldn't gain back momentum, though, as the visitors scored three unanswered goals to put the game out of reach.
Prior to puck drop Plymouth State celebrated its Senior Day, recognizing manager
Bri Chartier, along with
Georgia McLellan (Kamloops, British Columbia),
Kassidy Lyons (Upper Blackville, New Brunswick),
Zoe Killisch (Kitzbuhel, Austria),
Siri Brett (East Wenatchee, Wash.),
Marykate Thompson (Glastonbury, Conn.) and
Olivia Petito (Jacksonville, Fla.) for their dedication and hard work to the program.
Plymouth State drops to 6-14-1 and 4-11-0 in the NEHC, while William Smith rises to 7-14-1 and 5-9-1 in conference play.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 1, William Smith 4
- Plymouth State (6-14-1, 4-11-0 NEHC)
- William Smith (7-14-1, 5-9-1)
How it Happened:
- William Smith took an early opportunity to open the scoring with a long-range shot for a 1-2 lead 1:12 into regulation.
- The Panthers answered back as Hamilton potted the team's first score with assists from Carter and McNeil at 11:13.
- The Herons took the lead back with a rebound goal for a 2-1 advantage after the first.
- Juniors Chantelle Ross (Ottawa, Ontario) and Addie Swanson (Eagle River, Alaska) attempted back-to-back shots to get even, but both nearly missed with Ross' attempt ringing the post.
- William Smith made another quick strike to open the second period and extend the lead to 3-1.
- Petito made a huge save when the Herons' made a bid at a short-handed tally.
- William Smith sealed the win with a third-period goal to account for the 4-1 final.
By the Numbers:
- Petito made 27 saves.
- PSU blocked 17 shots, led by junior Abigale McGee (Bozeman, Mont.) with four and Lyons' three.
- Plymouth State was 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Herons went 0-for-1.
- Hamilton's goal was her fourth of the season. She leads the Panthers in goals and points.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State remains home on Tuesday (Feb. 8) for an NEHC matchup against the University of Massachusetts Boston. Puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m.
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