CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland senior Maggie Giamo (Orchard Park/RIT) scored three power-play goals to record her first career hat trick to lead the Cortland women’s ice hockey team to a 5-1 win versus Buffalo St. Saturday afternoon in ECAC West action at Alumni Arena to sweep the two-game weekend series.
Senior Kellie Micillo (Sayville/Suffolk PAL) and freshman Niamh O’Connor (Paramus, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) also netted goals for the Red Dragons (6-13-1, 6-8 ECAC West). Junior Gina Tomei (Bronx/Sound Shore Warriors) recorded two assists, seniors Brianna Rossi (Stormville/Brewster Bulldogs) and Julia Rapp (Vienna, VA/Northwood School) and freshmen Corey Temple (Troy, MI/Ohio Flames) and Katie Gili (Brooklyn/New Jersey Rockets) each chipped in with one assist. Freshman goalie Deanna Meunier (Parsippany, NJ/New Jersey Rockets) made 24 saves.
Freshman Nikki Kirchberger (Buffalo/Buffalo Regals) notched the Bengals’ (5-15-1, 2-10) goal, her second of the weekend. Freshman Sarah Quigley (Canton, MA/NSA) started in goal, making 18 saves in 46:24 before giving way to junior Jordan Lee (Colorado Springs, CO/Southern Maine), who stopped seven shots over the final 13:36.
Micillo gave Cortland the lead at 14:42 of the first period, putting in a rebound right in front on the power play. The goal was the first of Cortland’s five special-team scores. Giamo’s first of the game at 3:41 of the second period on the power play came on a wrist shot from the left side to give the Red Dragons a 2-0 lead. Kirchberger cut the advantage in half when she picked up a loose puck in her defensive zone, skated down the left side, cut to the middle and slid a shot through Meunier’s pads at 5:08.
Cortland took control of the game in the third period. O’Connor scored on a one-timer in front at 1:04 with Cortland down a skater to make it 3-1. Giamo finished the scoring with a pair of power-play goals. At 6:24 of the third, she wristed in a quick shot into an open net on the left side and completed the hat trick while Cortland had a two-player advantage, knocking in a rebound past Lee at 8:49.
The game featured 19 penalties with Cortland going 4-for-9 on the power play and Buffalo St. failing on all six of its attempts.
