The William Smith College ice hockey team will hit the road this weekend, Feb. 4-5, for a pair of New England Hockey Conference contests. On Friday, the Herons will be in Rutland, Vermont, to take on Castleton at 6 p.m. The next day, William Smith will travel to Plymouth, New Hampshire, to take on Plymouth State at 2 p.m.
 
The Herons are 6-13-1 overall this season with a 4-8-1 mark in NEHC play. The Herons are coming off a 2-1-0 homestand that saw them beat Oswego, 2-1, and Johnson & Wales 4-0 before falling to UMass Boston, 2-1. Annie Hauser started all three games in goal, stopping 92 of the 95 shots she faced. Hauser posted a 1.01 goals against average on her way to earning a spot on the NEHC weekly honor roll. Entering the weekend, William Smith is seventh in the conference standings with 15 points.
 
Emily Martino leads the team with 10 points on two goals and eight assists. Mia LaPlante is second with eight points. She leads the team with five goals. Hauser is 2-3-0 in goal this season with a team-leading 1.67 GAA and a .942 save percentage. Amanda Aalto has played a majority of the minutes in goal. She is 2-5-1 with a 2.23 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
 
The Spartans are 9-8-2 overall this season with a 7-5-1 mark in conference play. Castleton is fifth in the NEHC standings with 22 points. The Spartans are coming off a 5-3 victory over the Plymouth State Tuesday night. Darby Palisi leads the team with 18 points on six goals and 12 assists. Courtney Gauthier and Brooke Greenwood share the team lead with eight goals each. Kirsten DiCicco has played the majority of the minutes in goal. She is 5-4-1 with a 2.56 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
 
Friday's game will be the second meeting between William Smith and Castleton. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie back in December at The Cooler.
 
Fans are allowed at Spartan Arena. When indoors, fans must wear a mask or cloth face coverings at all times. Fans who cannot make the trip to Rutland can follow all the action with stats and video at castletonsports.com.
 
Plymouth State enters the weekend with a 6-12-1 overall record and a 4-9-0 mark in conference play. The Panthers are eighth in the conference standings with 12 points and will host league-leading Elmira on Friday. Meghan Hamilton and Taylor Thomas share the team lead with seven points each. Hamilton is one of three players with three goals. Thomas and Robyn Grant each have five assists. Olivia Petito has played a majority of the minutes in goal. She is 2-8-1 with a 2.99 GAA and a .907 save percentage.
 
Saturday's game will be the second meeting between William Smith and Plymouth State. The Herons won 1-0 earlier this season at The Cooler.
 
Fans are welcome at Hanaway Rink. Spectators must be masked properly at any indoor event at Plymouth State and are encouraged to maintain social distance when possible. Fans who cannot make the trip to Plymouth can follow all the action with stats and video on Plymouth State's athletic website.