GENEVA, N.Y.-The William Smith College ice hockey team scored five times in the second period to secure a weekend sweep of Chatham at The Cooler. With the 7-1 victory over the Cougars this afternoon, the Herons improve to 5-0-1 on the season and 3-0-1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference, their best start in program history.
For the second straight day, sophomore Gina Scibetta recorded a game-high three points (2g, 1a) to lead the Herons. Senior Krista Federow (1g, 1a), junior Laura Rollins (2a), sophomore Taylor Morash (2a), and first-year Emily Martino (1g,1a) also recorded multi-point games for the Herons. Senior Maggie Salmon improves to 5-0-1 on the year and made 27 saves in the win. This was the second time this season the Herons scored five goals in a period.
Sophomore Kate Klimaszewski opened the scoring for William Smith at 17:50 of the first period. Morash notched her first assist of the game on the goal. Off of a faceoff win by Morash, Klimaszewski flicked a loose puck across the goal line for her first goal of the season. Two minutes later, Federow pocketed her team-leading sixth goal of the season off a brilliant crossing pass from Scibetta. Scibetta broke into the offensive zone, streaking down the left wing. She lifted a crossing pass over a Cougar defender to Federow, who backhanded the puck past Sydney Isbell.
Scibetta’s first goal of the game came at 3:13 of the second period. She picked off a pass in the offensive zone, carried the puck into the slot. That was the end of Isbell’s night in goal. The Herons beat Taylor Schwandt on their next two shots. First-year Emily Marino scored her first collegiate goal at the 4:27 mark. Fifty-two seconds later, her sister, MaryKate Martino scored her first collegiate goal, wristing a shot past Schwandt. Following MaryKate’s goal, the Cougars lifted Schwandt in favor of Devon Strachan, who played the final 34:41 in goal.
Chatham (1-5-0, 0-4-0) broke the shutout with Kasandra Petersen’s fourth goal of the season. She forced a turnover in the attacking zone with a solid forecheck and snapped a shot past Salmon.
Senior Kiley Fewster answered for the Herons sixty seconds later with her fourth goal of the season. Stephanie Hampton and Emily Martino were credited with assists on the goal. Martino collected the puck in the defensive zone and hit Hampton with a breakout pass. Hampton had her initial shot turned aside by Strachan but Fewster pounced on the rebound and flipped it into the goal. Scibetta tacked on a second goal at 11:41 of the third period. Rollins and Federow collected assists on the goal.
Isbell made 18 saves for the Cougars in the opening 23:13 of the game, while Strachan made 17 saves in relief. Schwandt played 2:06 in goal for Chatham.
Neither team was able to convert on the power play. The Herons finished the game 0-for-2 with the extra skater while the Cougars were 0-for-3.
Entering Thanksgiving break, the Herons are ranked second in the UCHC. William Smith will be back in action Dec. 1-2 when it travels to Aston, Pa. for a pair of games against Neumann.
