GENEVA, N.Y. – The William Smith College ice hockey team staged a furious third period rally that ultimately fell one goal short this afternoon. Division I Sacred Heart edged the Herons 4-3 in a non-conference game at the Cooler. Four players tied game-high honors with three points.
The Pioneers (7-13-1) scored three first period goals to jump out to an early 3-0 lead. Natasha Kilnoff notched the game’s first goal. Brittany Smith ripped a shot from the left faceoff circle that trickled past William Smith’s Maggie Salmon Kilnoff, who was behind Salmon, tapped the puck over the goal line and into the back of the net. Alanna Woodford doubled Sacred Heart’s lead just past the halfway point of the first period. Casey Stathopoulos sent a cross ice pass to Woodford who fired a shot into the open cage. Megan Finley notched Sacred Heart’s third goal blasting a shot into the upper corner of the cage.
William Smith (2-16-1) scored late in the first period to cut into the Pioneers’ lead. First-year Krista Federow pocketed her team-leading eighth goal of the season. Morgan Bayreuther stole the puck at her offensive blue line and found Federow alone in front of the goal. Federow backhanded the puck through the goalie’s legs. The tally was a shorthanded goal, Federow’s second of the year.
After a scoreless second period, Heather Daley extended Sacred Heart’s lead to 4-1. She redirected a Brianna Connolly shot into the upper left corner of the net.
First-year Grace Durham started the Heron rally in the third period with an extra-attacker power-play goal. At 12:22 of the third period, William Smith pulled its goalie. Dori Craig won the ensuing faceoff back to Emily Burton. Burton sent a pass to Durham at the opposite point. Durham then blasted a shot that found the back of the net. Two and a half minutes later, Rachel McKay notched her second goal of the season. Federow and McKay broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 break. Federow drew the defender and dished a pass to McKay who wristed the shot past Sacred Heart goalie, Nicole Magee.
Heron first-year Catherine Linehan had William Smith’s best opportunity to tie the game. Less than a minute after McKay’s goal Linehan had a point blank shot robbed by Magee. Morgan Bayreuther also had a scoring chance late in the third period stopped by the Pioneer goalie.
Salmon got the start in goal for William Smith and made 39 saves. Magee started in the cage for Sacred Heart and made 26 saves
Both teams registered a power-play goal in today’s game. William Smith converted on one of its two power plays while Sacred Heart notched a goal on one of its five. The Herons scored a shorthanded goal..
William Smith returns to the ice and ECAC West play next weekend. The Herons face SUNY Oswego in a home and home. The two teams play at The Cooler on Saturday, Feb. 7, and play in Oswego, New York on Sunday, Feb. 8.
