The Hamilton College women’s hockey team scored three power play goals en route to a 4-2 NESCAC victory over the visiting Williams College Ephs on Sunday afternoon at Russell Sage Rink.
Hamilton (1-1, 1-1 NESCAC) scored early and often to build a 4-0 cushion before the Ephs managed to get on the scoreboard in the third period. Olivia Hawes ’19 guided the offense with two goals and Sammy Johnson ’20 (30 saves) anchored the defense in her first conference start between the pipes.
Williams (1-1, 1-1) won the contest on Friday night 4-3 to split the two-game conference series.
Maddie Beitler ’21 got it all started just 1:42 after the opening faceoff. Beitler’s initial shot was denied by Marissa Anderson (15 saves) but Nancy Loh ’22 fed the rebound back to Maggie Seidenberg ’22 for another shot and Beitler, waiting in front of the net, redirected the puck into the goal.
Hamilton picked up its first power play goal with 3:54 remaining in the opening period to head into the locker room with a 2-0 edge. Loh skated up the left side of the boards into Williams’ corner and passed back to Andrea Rockey ’19 at the hashmarks. Rockey passed to Taegan Blackwell ’19 at the top of the zone and Blackwell found Kelli Mackey ’20 across the ice who blew a slapshot past the Ephs goalie.
The Continentals quickly gained a one-skater advantage to start the second when Williams’ Eliza Quigley headed to the box for interference 1:22 into the period. Michaela Giuttari ’20 moved the puck into the offensive zone and passed up to Kate Piacenza ’21 at the top of the circle. Piacenza fed the puck to Hawes down low and she fired the eventual game-winner inside the near post with just nine seconds left in the power play. The goal was the 20th of Hawes’ career and with help from Giuttari and Emilie Matheson ’22, she increased her career total to 21 goals just 31 seconds into the third period.
Bri Laycock put the visitors on the scoreboard at 1:38 when she received a pass from Meghan Halloran in the slot. Hamilton’s Johnson was screened by the traffic in front of the net and Laycock sneaked a low shot inside the left pipe. Just over two minutes later, Brynn Puppe cut Hamilton’s lead in half with a power play goal. Abby Brustad broke the puck out of the Ephs’ zone and passed up to Halloran at center ice. Halloran skated along the left side of the boards, wrapped around the net and passed to Puppe at the right point who slapped a one-timer past Johnson.
Chloe Heiting replaced Anderson in goal for Williams at the start of the third period and made eight saves. Heiting went to the bench with 1:28 remaining on the clock to give the Ephs an extra attacker, but the Continentals’ defense did not allow a single shot to reach Johnson.
Next up, Hamilton hosts Morrisville State for a 1 p.m. non-conference game on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The Continentals and Mustangs split their two meetings last season with both teams winning on the road. Morrisville earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament last year after winning the Colonial Hockey Conference Championship, ultimately losing 8-2 in the quarterfinals to the national champion Norwich University.
