GENEVA, N.Y.-The William Smith College ice hockey team secured a 5-3 victory over Chatham with a pair of third period goas at The Cooler this evening. With the win, the Herons improve to 4-0-1 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play with a 2-0-1 record.
William Smith sophomore Gina Scibetta and Chatham defender Kassandra Petersen (1g, 2a) finished with three points apiece, sharing game-high point honors. Senior goalie Maggie Salmon made 21 saves in the win.
Scibetta opened the scoring four minutes into the first period. She banged home a rebound from the left post for her second goal of the season. First-year Emily Martino and junior Laura Rollins were credited with assists on the goal. Martino left a drop pass for Rollins at the point, Rollins then fired a crossing pass to Martino, who had her initial shot from the point turned aside by the Cougar’s goalie Devon Strachan. Scibetta pounced on the rebound and flipped it into the back of the net.
The Cougars (1-4-0, 0-3-0) tied the game at one just over a minute later when Petersen fired home her third goal of the season. With Chatham on a power-play, Petersen intercepted a clearing pass in the neutral zone, walked into the attacking zone and fired a slap shot off the crossbar and into the goal. The unassisted goal came 22 seconds into the Cougars’s first power play of the game.
The Herons regained a one goal lead when junior Maura Mulligan scored her first goal of the season. She blocked a shot in the defensive zone, skated the complete length of the rink and flipped it over a sprawling Strachan.
This time, the Cougars only needed 39 seconds to answer William Smith’s goal. Cassidy Colhoun, who was acting as a screen in front of Salmon, tipped Petersen’s point shot into the goal. The goal was Colhoun’s fifth of the season.
William Smith had the territorial advantage in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Cougars 14-9.
Junior Stephanie Hampton gave the Herons a 3-2 lead midway through the second period. Her third goal of the season was assisted by first-year Lexi Nottke and Scibetta. Nottke kept the offensive zone possession alive for the Herons with a great pinch along the boards. She shoveled the puck up to Scibetta, who one touched it back to Nottke at the point. Nottke found Hampton in the low slot and Hampton wristed her shot over the glove of a diving Strachan.
At 4:38 of the third period, Kirajean Frost tied the game three with her first goal of the season. Her power-play goal was assisted by Petersen. Frost was stationed directly in front of the goalie and used her stick to redirect the shot into the goal.
This time it was William Smith’s turn to respond quickly. Scibetta scored her second goal of the game 42 seconds later. Senior Krista Federow was credited with her team-leading seventh assist of the season on the goal. Federow hit Scibetta in stride in the neutral zone, and Scibetta carried the puck over the attacking zone blue line and snapped a shot into the back of the net.
Senior Kiley Fewster iced the game for William Smith with her third goal of the season. She cleaned up a loose puck in the goal crease, poking it across the goal line. First-years Jules Kennedy and Julia Mings were credited with the assists on the goal. Fewster’s goal was scored while Salmon was on the bench. Salmon had been pulled in favor of the extra attacker due to a delayed penalty call upcoming on the Cougars.
Strachan made 36 saves in goal for Chatham. William Smith, which came into the game with the conference’s second best power play, was 0-for-6 with the extra attacker. Chatham was 2-for-5 on the power play.
The two teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon. Faceoff at The Cooler is scheduled for 4 p.m.
