WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.—The William Smith College ice hockey team dropped a hard-fought non-conference contest to Williams, 3-2, at the Lansing-Chapman Rink this evening. All three of the Ephs' goals came on the power play.
Emily Martino and
Emma Faso scored the goals for the Herons (3-10-1).
Erin Murray started in goal for the second straight day. She matched yesterday's output, finishing the contest with a career-high matching 39 saves.
Ellia Chiang had a game-high three points for Williams (5-2-0) in the victory. She scored a goal and had a pair of assists. Robin Kitazono added a goal and an assist. Amanda Lackmann started in goal and made 17 saves.
The Ephs opened the scoring at the 2:11 mark of the first period. Kitazono fired a shot from the point through traffic and into the net. The power-play goal was assisted by Brynn Puppe and Chiang. Following the goal, the Ephs continued to apply pressure in the offensive zone, but Murray kept the charge at bay, making 14 saves in the opening period.
Martino had William Smith's first scoring chance of the game at the 6:55 mark of the first period. She fired a shot from the left faceoff circle that was turned aside by Lackmann. At the 11:04 mark of the period, Rourke had a wrap-around shot smothered by the goalie.
The Ephs had a couple of chances early in the second period, but Murray stood tall keeping it a one-goal game. She made a pair of saves on a Williams' power play.
Brit Foster nearly tied the game for William Smith at the 12:21 mark of the period, but her shot from the left faceoff circle was stopped by Lackmann. Two minutes later,
Mackenzie O'Neil snapped a shot from the left-wing that was stopped by the goalie. Martino ended the shutout bid at the 15:54 mark of the period. Her second goal of the season was assisted by
Julianna Gong and
Anna Krajewski. Krajewski's initial shot from the point was stopped by Lackmann. The rebound popped out to Martino, who snapped a shot from the right faceoff circle into the back of the net.
Williams regained a one-goal lead with a minute remaining in the period on Meghan Halloran's fifth goal of the season. Chiang was credited with an assist on the power-play goal. Following a scramble in front of the cage, Chiang poked the loose puck to Halloran, who swept the shot across the goal line. One minute later,
Emma Faso beat the buzzer to tie the game heading into the second intermission. She forced a turnover deep in the offensive zone and wristed a shot from the left faceoff circle under Lackmann's pads and into net for her first collegiate goal. The shot snuck across the goal line just as the buzzer sounded.
The Herons nearly took the lead at the 2:34 mark of the third period, but O'Neil's shot from the left faceoff circle handcuffed Lackmann, but the goalie made a glove save. A minute later,
Lauren Jackson had a shot from the point turned aside by Williams' goalie.
In the middle part of the period, William Smith killed off a key 5-on-3 power play for the Ephs. Martino and
Sydney Lester each blocked a shot during the sequence. Thirty seconds later though, the Herons were called for two-many players on the ice and Williams converted. Chiang fired home a shot from the slot for her fourth goal of the season. The game-winning goal was assisted by Avery Dunn and Kitazono.
Wiliam Smith had a chance to tie the game late in regulation when Maddie Tix was called for slashing, but the Herons were unable to convert with the extra attacker.
Williams finished the game with a 42-19 edge in shots on goal. The Ephs were 3-for-6 on the power play and the Herons did not score on either of their opportunities.
William Smith has now completed the 2021 portion of its schedule. The Herons will be back in action on Jan. 7, 2022, when they head to Northfield, Vermont, to take on Norwich.
