Women’s Hockey routs SUNY Canton after losses

ANTHONY ZUCARO ’16

STAFF WRITER

As the winter sports gets underway, the Trinity College Women’s Hockey Team  has set a weak foundation for reclaiming the NESCAC Championship. While the women won one game in a decisive 7-0 victory against SUNY Canton, they dropped a two set series to Middlebury, 1-5 and 1-2.

The Bantams played Middlebury in sequential Friday and Saturday games.  On Friday, they took an early lead thanks to forward Emma Tani’s ’16 goal off of the assists by Jessica Stowell ’17 and Delaney Harrop ’18. Middlebury soon tied with approximately 12 minutes left in the first period with a rebound goal from Katie Mandigo. Middlebury ‘sscoring continued as Elizabeth Wulf scored for the Panthers off of a redirected shot from Kelly Sherman. The Panthers dominated the second half with goals in their 1-5 victory. Mandigo scored off of a save made by Bantam goalkeeper Sydney Belinskas ’18 and Sherman was able to make a fourth score on a breakaway. Julia Wardell sealed the Bantams fate with a goal following a failed clearance. Middlebury had the shot advantage at 30-19, while Marisa Dreher and Belinskas finished with 18 and 25 saves, respectively.

The Bantams lost the second game of the series as well, but the game was much closer this time around. Trinity scored first once again; forward Melissa Maffeo ’18 fired an initial shot that was blocked, but Bantam defender Shelby Labe ’16 scored off of the rebound. The Bantams held on to their lead for the first period, but Middlebury equalized within the first minutes of the second after Winslow scored off a failed clearing attempt. After the Panthers put on some pressure, Wulf fed Anna Van Kula for the game winning shot, giving the Bantams their second loss with just 47 seconds left in the game. After the 0-2 series, the Bantams have yet to win in the NESCAC Conference this season.

Fortunately, the Bantams were able to win with an offensive flurry against SUNY Canton. While the Bantams did not score for the first 12 minutes, they finished with an outstanding 50 shots to Canton’s 16. Maffeo was the first to score thanks to an assist by Stowell off a stolen puck. Four minutes later off a feed from Maffeo, Bantam forward Cheeky Herr ’16 scored the second goal of the game.

The Bantams dominated the second period, scoring three more goals. Brooke Heron ’16 and Tani assisted Hannah Oganeku ’18 on a power play goal 8 minutes into the period. Just 32 seconds later, Lindsay Miller ’19 added another goal assisted by Chandler Solimine ’16. With just ten seconds left before the second intermission, Kate Fraley ’17 found Shannon Ferrell ’16 for a short-handed goal making it 5-0. Fraley added a goal of her own in the 3rd, and Elizabeth Caporale ’16 scored on a power play goal, as well. Belinskas made 16 saves to secure an impressive all-around victory for the Bantams.

Now ranked 9th in the nation, the women’s team currently has a record of 1-2 under new head coach Keith Maurice. They will face off next against NESCAC foe Amherst in a two game series this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5.