BUFFALO, N.Y. – The William Smith College ice hockey team was edged by Buffalo State 2-1 in an ECAC West game this afternoon. The Bengals scored twice in the first period and held on late to defeat the Herons.
 
For the second straight day, Buffalo State (10-4-1, 5-3-0) needed less than three minutes to take a 1-0 lead. Natasha Steinle scored her third goal of the weekend at 2:38 of the opening period. Lila Toczek was credited with the lone assist on the goal. The Bengals doubled their lead at 18:26 of the period when Toczek added a goal of her own. She wristed a shot past Maggie Salmon off of a Missy Mallon faceoff win. Mallon and Jessica Carter were credited with assists on the goal.
 
Neither team found the back of the net in the second period. Salmon stood tall in the Heron goal, stopping all 14 Buffalo State shots she faced. The William Smith penalty kill was strong in the middle period, killing off five straight minutes of penalties in the middle portion of the period, including two 5-on-3s.
 
The Herons (4-9-2, 1-6-1) cut into the Bengals lead when sophomore Jordan Roetzer redirected a Kiley Fewster shot from the point past Justine Silva. Fewster and Laura Rollins were credited with assists on the power-play goal.
 
Salmon made 45 saves in 57:49 of action for William Smith. At the opposite end of the rink, Silva stopped 17 shots on her way to the victory.
 
The Herons finished the game 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Bengals came away empty on their six opportunities.
 
William Smith will return to the ice next weekend, Jan. 20-21, when it takes on fifth-ranked Elmira in a home-and-home series. The Herons will be in Pine Valley, N.Y. on Friday at 7 p.m., and the Soaring Eagles will make the trip up the lake on Saturday at 4 p.m. Buffalo State will be at Cortland next weekend.