3 Valiants Earn UCHC Weekly Honors
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Manhattanville junior defender Taylor Ham (Saugerties, N.Y./Millbrook School), freshman goalie Lena Flores (Chicago, Ill./Guerin College Prep) and freshman forward Hayden Taylor (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) each received weekly honors from the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC), Tuesday, Feb. 18. Ham was named UCHC Women’s South Player of the Week, Flores was named Goalie of the Week and Taylor received UCHC Men’s Rookie of the Week.
Ham notched two goals in a 3-1 win over Neumann University, Saturday, Feb. 22. She also added two blocks on the defensive end in the win. This is the first weekly award of the season and career from the UCHC for Ham. As a freshman, she was named New England Women’s Hockey Alliance Co-Rookie of the Week.
Flores made her presence known in the Valiants’ 3-1 win over Neumann. She made 31 saves on 32 shots against the Knights. This is the fifth weekly award this season for Flores. She has won Rookie of the Week three times this season and this is her second consecutive Goalie of Week honor.
Entering the weekend with just one goal and two points in his first season as a collegian, Taylor notched three goals on three shots during the 1-1 week for the Valiants … he began with a pair of powerplay goals in the 8-1 win over King’s on Friday … then, in the tough 6-5 OT loss to #13 Wilkes on Saturday, Taylor scored a goal to tie it at 2-2 early in the second period. This is his first weekly honor from the UCHC
Ham, Flores and the rest of the Valiants return to the ice, Friday, Feb. 21, against UCHC opponent Lebanon Valley College. Puck drop is set for 7:00 P.M., at the Playland Ice Casino in Rye, N.Y.
Hayden and his teammates return to the ice for their final game of the season against Neumann University in Aston. Pa., Friday, Feb. 21. Puck drop is set for 7:00 P.M.
Friedman Tabbed Rookie of the Week
William Smith College first-year forward Izzy Friedman was named the United Collegiate Hockey Conference North Division’s Rookie of the Week following her efforts in William Smith’s upset victory over then No. 4 Elmira on Sunday.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Friedman recorded a pair of assists in the win. At the 1:42 mark of the first period, she set up junior Alison Weiss’ goal that tied the game 1-1. In the second period, she raced the length of the ice and fired a cross ice pass to junior Emily Martino to set up William Smith’s second goal of the day. It was Friedman’s first career multi-point game. Through 23 games this season, she has six points on a goal and five assists.
Thirty seconds into the overtime period, junior Julia Mings’ redirected a shot from fellow junior Jules Kennedy past Elizabeth Hanson to seal the upset bid. Senior Gina Scibetta added a goal and sophomore Amanda Aalto made 22 saves in just over 60 minutes of action in goal.
The Herons are 16-7-0 overall with a 12-2-0 mark in UCHC play and are riding a nine-game win streak into the final weekend of the regular season. It is the second longest win streak in program history. William Smith’s upset victory earned them a vote in the USCHO.com poll announced yesterday.
The Herons enter the weekend in a three-way tie atop the conference standings with fifth-ranked Elmira and Nazareth. If William Smith wins its final two games they will clinch at least a share of their first regular season title. The Herons host Utica and Nazareth at The Cooler this weekend, Feb. 22-23.
The Herons will take on the Pioneers, who locked up the No. 4 seed in the UCHC North Division, Saturday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. Utica is 9-13-1 overall with a 9-4-1 mark in conference play. William Smith defeated the Pioneers 1-0 back on Nov. 22 in Utica.
The next day, William Smith will take on the Golden Flyers at 4 p.m. Nazareth enters the weekend with a 17-3-3 overall record and a 11-1-2 mark in conference play and will be at Elmira on Saturday. The Golden Flyers edged William Smith 2-1 in Rochester on Nov. 23. If both William Smith and Nazareth win on Saturday, Sunday’s game could decide the regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Sunday’s game will be the final regular season home game for the three members of William Smith’s Class of 2020. Kate Klimaszewski, Morgan McMinn and Gina Scibetta have compiled a four-year record of 57-33-12 and will graduate as the winningest class in program history.
Phantoms Acquire WNY-Native Tom McCollum
Phantoms Acquire G Tom McCollum and F Lewis Zerter-Gossage
Both Players Assigned to Reading Royals
Lehigh Valley, Pa. – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, proud AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, have acquired goalie Tom McCollum and forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage from the Hartford Wolf Pack in exchange for future considerations. Both players have been assigned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
McCollum, 30, has appeared in seven games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season and has a 2-2-2 record with a 2.37 goals-against average and 0.906 save percentage. He has also split time with the Maine Mariners (11 games, 5-5-0) and the Florida Everblades (3 games, 3-0) in the ECHL.
A native of Amherst, New York, McCollum was drafted in the first round (#30) in the 2008 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. He has played three games for Detroit and made his NHL debut on March 30, 2011 against the St. Louis Blues and earned his first NHL victory on January 18, 2015 against the Buffalo Sabres. Overall, McCollum has played 322 AHL games for Grand Rapids, Charlotte, Stockton, Milwaukee and Hartford. He has a 149-119-25 record with a 2.71 GAA and 0.907 save percentage with 11 shutouts.
Zerter-Gossage, 24, is in his first professional season and has played in 25 games for the Wolf Pack this year, registering two goals and one assist for three points. He has also appeared in 13 games for the Maine Mariners, notching a goal and five assists for six points in the ECHL.
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Zerter-Gossage played four years at Harvard University, including a season with Phantoms forward Kyle Criscuolo in 2015-16. He helped Harvard capture the 2016-17 ECAC Championship in his sophomore season. He was signed to an AHL contract by the Wolf Pack on July 30, 2019.
And for the latest Phantoms news, visit www.phantomshockey.com or follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lehighvalleyphantoms), Twitter (@lvphantoms), Instagram (@lehighvalleyphantoms) and Snapchat (lvphantoms).
Established in 1996, the Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum in Philadelphia before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 23 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs 12 times and have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and five Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2017-18).
Miracle On Ice-40th Anniversary Featuring Al Michaels and Mike Tirico Premieres Tonight At 11:30 p.m. ET On NBCSN
“It’s the U.S. going up against Goliath.” – Michaels
“If we ever talk about a ‘Hockey Day in America,’ there is one all-time ‘Hockey Day in America.’” – Tirico
“Almost like Bill Belichick in a way; he wanted to keep the press and outside world [away]…’it’s on to Romania.’” – Michaels on head coach Herb Brooks
STAMFORD, Conn. – The Miracle on Ice – 40th Anniversary, featuring Al Michaels, who called men’s hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics, and Mike Tirico, will premiere tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, following Wednesday Night Hockeycoverage of Rangers-Blackhawks.
Forty years to the month, this 30-minute special will feature Tirico’s wide-ranging conversation with Michaels about the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team’s gold-medal run at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., highlighted by the Americans’ improbable semifinal victory against the Soviet Union. Click here to watch a preview.
Below are some highlighted quotes:
Al Michaels: “The country needed a boost…something to get excited about, and of all crazy things, this was the thing.”
Mike Tirico: “If we ever talk about a ‘Hockey Day in America,’ there is one all-time ‘Hockey Day in America.’”
Michaels on analyst Ken Dryden: “Ken Dryden was the perfect partner … Ken Dryden is a renaissance man.”
On head coach Herb Brooks: “Almost like Bill Belichick in a way; he wanted to keep the press and outside world over here and knew a lot more than the media knew…‘it’s on to Romania’…he turned out to be the perfect guy for this team.”
Michaels on the atmosphere surrounding the game: “There was a sense of anticipation, but there also might have been, I don’t want to say fear, but nervousness. It’s the U.S. going up against Goliath.”
Michaels on comeback: “The U.S. trailed three times, they were outshot 39-16. How many games in the history of hockey, international, National Hockey League, bantam, peewee, does a team get outshot two-and-a-half to one, and come back three times? It doesn’t happen and it made it all the better.”
Michaels reflecting on his historic “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” call: “I almost hear it now in the third person. I’m excited because I know it’s going to happen and I know its going to be said, but it’s like someone else is doing it and I’m just going to exult in what’s happening. I mean, this was such a great moment, I want to be a fan at that point.”
Michaels on being associated with the iconic event: “It’s been a source of great joy … the story’s been passed down from fathers to sons and daughters. That is so great and it’s one of those rare events where you remember where you were. But if you think back, so many of the events where you remember where you were … are all terrible. This one – beautiful.”
Beauts Last Home Games This Weekend
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Your last chance to see the NWHL Buffalo Beauts will be this weekend at Northtowns Center in Amherst.
The #4 Beauts will take on #2 Minnesota Whitecaps at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, as both teams make moves to secure their place in the NWHL playoffs.
Buffalo is coming off a 6-5 shoot-out Saturday victory over the Riveters, followed by a loss to the Riveters last Sunday. The Beauts are 7-12-1OTL for 15 points while the Whitecaps are 9-9-3OTL for 28 points. Boston is sitting in first and the Riveters are in third.
Taylor Accursi is marking the league with 16 goals and 8 assists for 24 points; Marie-Jo Pelletier has 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points and Iveta Klimasova has 3 goals and 15 assists for 18 points.
Mariah Fujimagari and Kelsey Neumann have been minding the nets for the Beauts. Fujimagari has played in 20 games with 3 wins/8 losses and Neumann with 17 games 3 wins/2 losses.
Locally you will want to see former Buffalo State College players Emma Ruggierio, Nikki Kirchberger and Erin Gehen. All three also played for the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League. Then there’s Ana Orzechowski from Tonawanda who played for RPI; Maddie Norton, University of Buffalo and the WNYGVIH League and Richelle Skarbowski who played for SUNY Cortland. For RIT fans, Kandice Sheriff is also a Beaut.
A look at Minnesota.
Last time they met Buffalo the Whitecaps took home a 8-2 and 7-1 victory (January 11/12). They split at with Boston in their last games with a 3-4 win followed by a 4-2 loss.
The Whitecaps have three players in the League Leaders listings including Allie Thunstrom with the #4 position in points/27; #1 in goals/19; #1 in Shut-Out-Goals/3 and second in Game Winning Goals with 2.
Teammates Amanda Boulier is second with assists at 22 and Meghan Lorevee is second with short-handed goals at 2.
Former Buffalo Beaut Goalie Amanda Leville continues her winning ways at Minnesota as she is # 2 in the NWHL with save percentage at .932 and #2 with wins at 13 and sits at #3 with GAA at 2.13.
General admission is $15 per game. Free parking.
Williamsville Says Farewell to Seniors
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Congratulations to the Class of 2020 from the Williamsville Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team. Recognized were Emily Belile, Jenna Cavalieri, Kelly Dormer, Stephanie Higgins, Samantha Ingham, Laura Kaplan, Lindsay Powers, Emma Roland, Erin Roland and Mia Wendell.
Belile will study Nursing at a college yet to be determined. Belile played in goal for Williamsville. She played 51 minutes this season with 15 saves in 20 attempts.
Cavalieri has been accepted at Mercyhurst University where she will play varsity field hockey and club ice hockey. Cavalieri, a forward, had 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points this season for Williamsville.
Kelly Dormer, a forward, will attend Daemen College. Dormer played in 21 games, had 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points.
Stephanie Higgins will attend Daemen College in the pre-med program. She was unable to play this season.
Forward Samantha Ingham will pursue a career as a physician’ assistant. Ingham played in 7 games and had an assist.
Defenseman Laura Kaplan played in 18 games, had a goal and 6 assists this season. She plans to have a career as a physician’s assistant.
Lindsay Powers will study Criminal Justice at SUNY Delhi. She played defense for Williamsville. In 19 games she had one goal.
Forward Emma Roland, Williamsville’s leading scorer with 45 points on 31 goals and 14 assists in 21 games, has been accepted to Rochester Institute of Technology. She will continue playing hockey while studying to be a physician’s assistant.
Erin Roland, sister to Emma and a defenseman, will study exercise science at Slippery Rock College, where she will play Varsity Field Hockey. Erin had 1 goal and 12 assists this season for 13 points.
Mia Wendell, a fan favorite this season in goal, will continue her hockey career at Yale University. Mia played in 19 games, actually had an assist while playing 707.10 minutes facing 309 shots and saving 293 for a .948 save percentage.
Emma was named to the WNYGVIHF All-Fed First Team; Wendell to Second Team and Cavalieri and Erin Roland to Third Team.
Williamsville took the Section VI Championship and made it to the finals against Clinton High School at the NYSPHSAA Girls Varsity High School Championship in Lake Placid.
Schneider Named SUNYAC Men’s Hockey Goalie of the Week
BROCKPORT, NY – Brockport’s Matt Schneider has been named the SUNYAC Men’s Ice Hockey Goalie of the Week, in a release by the conference office.
Schneider recorded a shutout as he led the Golden Eagles to a 2-0 win on the road at Buffalo State Saturday night, as Brockport clinched a spot in the upcoming SUNYAC Conference Tournament. Schneider made 22 saves and the senior tied the program-record for career wins as he picked up his 29th victory over the course of the last 4 seasons. He needs just one more win to earn sole possession of the record while becoming the first goalie in program-history to reach 30 career victories.
Brockport returns to the ice Tuesday night when they go on the road to face Cortland at 6 p.m. The Golden Eagles then return home for the regular season finale on Saturday as they host Geneseo at 7 p.m. The first round of the SUNYAC Tournament begins on Wednesday Feb. 26th. Sites and official seedings are still to be determined.
Saints Senior Hockey Women Go Out In Style With Win
A look back at last weekends contest which saw the Saints Celebrate Senior Day with 3-2 Win Over No. 10 Quinnipiac.
St. Lawrence University senior forward Kayla Vespa scored off assists from classmates Maggie McLaughlin and Kalie Grant at the 11:51 mark of the third period to lead the Saints’ women’s hockey team to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over 10th-ranked Quinnipiac in an ECAC Hockey contest at Appleton Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The trio, skating together on a forward line for the first time this season, were honored as three of eight members of the Saints’ Class of 2020 in senior day celebrations following the game.
“What a great day for our seniors,” said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells ’92. “Vespa getting the winner was so fitting for her and that line. We found a way to get back after the two quick ones Quinnipiac got on us. It is always fun to win on senior day and with this big group they can certainly leave Appleton with a good feeling. They won the first game in renovated Appleton with a senior scoring and their last with a senior scoring.”
With the win, St. Lawrence has clinched a spot in the ECAC Hockey playoffs. The Saints sit in eighth place in the conference standings, three points behind seventh-place Colgate and four behind Quinnipiac. Union is in ninth, five points back and out of playoff contention.
St. Lawrence had a 1-0 lead through two periods thanks to a shorthanded breakaway goal by Charlea Pedersen eight minutes into the second period. Pederson created a turnover in the neutral zone and beat Quinnipiac goaltender Abbie Ives five-hole for her second goal of the season.
The Bobcats, however, took the lead with two goals in an eight-second span eight minutes into the third period.
Taylor House beat St. Lawrence goaltender Lucy Morgan with a shot to the blocker side after picking up a loose puck in the Saints’ defensive zone to tie the game.
After Quinnipiac won the ensuing faceoff, Kenzie Prater flipped the puck into the Saints’ end from the red line and it took a funny bounce and skipped over Morgan’s shoulder and into the top right corner of the net to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead.
The Saints, however, scored two goals of their own in the next 3:43 to take the lead for good.
Skylar Podvey fired a slap shot through a screen and past Ives to tie the score, with assists coming from Amanda Butterfield and Shailynn Snow, and Vespa scored the game-winner on a redirect in front after McLaughlin fired a centering pass from the left corner.
The Saints held a 24-20 edge in shots on goal. Ives made 21 saves for the Bobcats, while Morgan stopped 18 shots, including two huge stops on Taylor Girard, one on a breakaway with the Saints leading 1-0 in the second period, and another halfway through the third with the Saints trailing 2-1.
After the game, St. Lawrence seniors Jaimee Cooke, Jacquie Diffley, Grant, Vespa, Steph Keryluk, Dakota Golde, McLaughlin and Butterfield were joined on the ice by their families and honored for their accomplishments.
The Saints will close out the regular season with a road trip next weekend, facing Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday.
Lascelle Named NEHC Goalie of The Week
Hobart College sophomore goalie Liam Lascelle was named the New England Hockey Conference Goaltender of the Week by the conference today. This is the second time this season that a Statesman has earned the award.
Lascelle posted a 2-0-0 record in Boston this past weekend. The Cornwall, Ontario, native stopped 50 of the 51 shots he faced, recording a 0.60 goals against average and a .980 save percentage. In Friday’s win over UMass Boston, he came on in the second period and stopped all 18 shots he faced as Hobart rallied to defeat the Beacons 5-3. The next day, he made a season-high 32 saves in a 4-1 victory over Babson. He made 12 saves in the third period, including eight in the first 15 minutes of the frame with the game tied 1-1. The pair of victories helped Hobart lock up the No. 3 seed in the NEHC tournament. Lascelle is 6-1-0 in goal this season. He has a 1.81 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
Lascelle is 16-3-2 in his career with a 1.70 GAA and a .933 save percentage.
Hobart begins its quest for a seventh league title (5 ECAC West, 1 NEHC) Saturday, Feb. 22, when it welcomes Skidmore to the Cooler. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Bogosian Suspended
Bogosian suspended due to failure to report to Rochester.
Defenseman cleared waivers and was assigned to Amerks on Saturday
By Sabres PR @SabresPR / Sabres.com —
The Buffalo Sabres have suspended defenseman Zach Bogosian due to failure to report to the Rochester Americans.
There will be no further information or comment at this time.
Amerks Weekly Report
**This Week’s Storylines**
A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD
- Rochester continues its season-long six-game homestand this week beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 19 with the first-place Belleville Senators visiting The Blue Cross Arena at 7:05 p.m. Following Wednesday night’s matchup, the Amerks close out their season-series with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, Feb. 21 before concluding the week by welcoming the Cleveland Monsters to the Flower City on Saturday, Feb. 22.
- The Amerks have claimed at least one point in 10 of the first 15 meetings with the Senators dating back to the 2017-18 season while showing a 6-7-1-1 record in the last 15 meetings versus the Phantoms dating back to the 2015-16 campaign.
- Rochester holds a record of 30-7-3-4 over Cleveland since the start of the 2011-12 slate and has earned a point in all six games so far this season (4-0-1-1).
- The Amerks come into the week five points back of the Belleville Senators for the top spot in the AHL’s North Division standings and have a three-point lead on the Utica Comets. Rochester, however, has a game in hand on the Comets.
TAYLOR CAN JOIN ELITE COMPANY THIS WEEK
- The Amerks need just one more win to reach the 30-win mark for the fourth consecutive season and third straight under head coach Chris Taylor. With the team’s next win, Taylor will become the first Amerks head coach since Randy Cunneyworth, the all-time winningest coach in franchise history, to lead his team to 30 or more wins in each of his first three seasons behind the bench.
BUSY FEBRUARY
- The month of February remains the busiest for the Amerks, who will play a total of six games over a 10-day stretch beginning Wednesday against Belleville as the team continues its homestand. Beginning with Sunday’s victory over Utica, 13 of Rochester’s next 14 games will be played solely against North Division opponents with the only exception being the final meeting of the season against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scheduled for this Friday at The Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. THE WEEK AHEAD
MITTELSTADT QUICKLY MAKING HIS MARK
- After producing just one point through his first five games with the Amerks following his midseason reassignment from the Sabres back in December, Casey Mittelstadt has quickly evolved into one of Rochester’s most consistent point-getters. The second-year pro has piled up 18 points (7+11) in 26 games for Rochester, including 16 points (7+9) since the turn of the New Year. The former first-round pick has seven points (1+6) in his first eight games of February and has not gone more than two games without a point since opening the 2020 calendar year on a season-long four-game point streak (3+1). A point against Belleville on Wednesday would Mittelstadt, who’s currently riding a four-game assist streak, his first five-game point streak of the season.
SHARING THE CREASE
- Anchored by the goaltending tandem of veteran Andrew Hammond and third-year pro Jonas Johansson, both of whom are currently on recall with the parent Buffalo Sabres, the Amerks own one of the top defenses in AHL having allowed only 143 goals through the 52 games of the season, the seventh-fewest in the AHL coming into the week. The duo has also combined for six shutouts and rank among the AHL’s leaders as they both have 13 wins on the season.
- Hammond, who is 13-11-2 on the season, is tied for third among all netminders in shutouts after notching his fourth of the year back on Dec. 14 in a 5-0 win over Laval, a new career-high. With four shutouts through 28 games this season, he remains on pace to tie the franchise record for most shutouts in a season (8) set by Ryan Miller during the 2004-05 campaign.
- Johansson, who made his NHL debut with the Sabres on Feb. 4 against Colorado and made his first career start two nights later against Detroit, owns a career-best 13-3-3 record with two shutouts this season. Despite being on recall, he has the sixth-best goal-against average in the league (2.19) and ranks fourth among all netminders with a .925 save percentage in 20 games. Dating back to Nov. 13, the 2020 AHL All-Star boasts an impressive 11-1-1 record with two shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage while allowing just two goals or less in eight starts over that span.
TEAM LEADERS
- Jean-Sebastien Dea, who remains the only Amerk this season to reach the 30-point plateau, continues to pace the team in goals (14) and points (33) through 47 games. Coming into week, Dea, who is also second among all Amerks forwards with 92 shots on goal, has 12 points (4+8) in his last 17 games since the turn of the New Year, including goals in two of his last seven outings.
THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE
- Rochester owns three of the AHL’s top point-producing defensemen in Zach Redmond, Casey Nelson and Lawrence Pilut, all of whom have been mainstays on Rochester’s blueline this season.
- The 2019-20 season is just a different chapter in the same story for the 31-year-old Redmond, who hasn’t gone more than five games without a point all season. The two-time AHL All-Star and reigning Eddie Shore Award winner is presently 14th in scoring amongst all defensemen with 29 points and is tied for 12th with a team-high 24 assists, 10 of which have come on the power-play.
- Back from his fourth recall of the season, Pilut has 17 points (5+12) over his last 24 AHL games dating back to Nov. 15, including goals in four of his last 10 outings. Having already established a new AHL career-high in goals (6), the former SHL Defenseman of the Year is also on pace to set a new mark in points.
- Nelson is tied for eighth among all blueliners with a team-best plus-19 on-ice rating through 44 games this season while rookie Jacob Bryson is tied for 11th among all first-year defensemen with a plus-6 rating. Bryson is also eighth among all rookies with 18 assists in 51 games.
Devils Trade With Islanders
DEVILS TRADE GREENE TO ISLANDERS FOR PICK, QUENNEVILLE
Devils receive second-round pick and David Quenneville
BINGHAMTON – The New Jersey Devils traded defenseman Andy Greene to the New York Islanders, in exchange for New York’s second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and defenseman David Quenneville.
Quenneville, 21, will report to the Binghamton Devils and has six points (one goal, five assists) in 18 games with the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season. The Edmonton, AB native has also played 14 games with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers and has two assists. The right-shooting defenseman was a seventh-round pick of the Islanders in 2016 and has totaled six points in 21 total AHL games and 23 points in 69 ECHL games.
Prior to his professional career, the 5-foot-8, 190-pounder recorded 214 points (69 goals, 145 assists) in 250 games with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League.
Herons Stun No. 4 Ranked Elmira
Herons stun #4 Elmira 4-3 in OT. Another NY Hockey OnLine Big Game of the Weekend
GENEVA, N.Y.- Junior forward Julia Mings scored 30 seconds into overtime to complete William Smith’s upset bid of fourth-ranked Elmira at The Cooler Sunday afternoon. The Herons knocked off the Soaring Eagles 4-3 in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference contest. With the win, William Smith extended its winning streak to nine games, the second longest in program history.
The Herons won the opening faceoff of the extra period carried the puck in the attacking zone and set up their offense. Junior Jules Kennedy held the puck along the boards and wristed a shot on cage. Mings, who was standing in front of the Elmira goalie acting as a screen, redirected the shot through Elizabeth Hanson’s legs for her 10th goal of the season.
Today was William Smith’s second win over a ranked opponent and first since a 3-1 victory over then No. 10/8 Oswego to wrap up the 2016-17 season. It was also the Herons’ first win over the Soaring Eagles in 12 tries.
Four different players scored for William Smith (16-7-0, 12-2-0). First-year Izzy Friedman had a team-high two points on two assists. Sophomore Amanda Aalto started in goal and made 22 saves in just over 60 minutes of action.
Elmira (16-4-2, 11-2-0) was led by the trio of Emma Crocker (1g, 1a), Morgan Mordini (2g, 1a) and Kiana Melvin (2a), who accounted for all seven of their points. Stephanie Martin started in goal and made 12 saves in just over 34 minutes in goal. Elizabeth Hanson came on in relief and made 11 saves in the final 26 minutes.
The Soaring Eagles opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game. Mordini collected a pass from Crocker and wristed a shot into the upper left corner of goal. Melvin was also credited with an assist on the goal. It was Mordini’s ninth goal of the season.
Just over a minute later, William Smith tied the game on Alison Weiss’ seventh goal of the season. First-year Alisa Canney forced a turnover in the slot and left a drop pass for Friedman. Friedman fed a pass to Weiss in the left faceoff circle. She one-timed the feed between Martin’s right leg and the left goal post.
Elmira regained the lead with just under five minutes remaining in the opening period. Crocker redirected a shot from the half board past Aalto for her 14th goal of the season. Mordini and Melvin were credited with assists on the goal.
The Herons tied the game 2-2 at the 8:46 mark of the second period. Friedman forced a turnover at her own blue line and raced the length of the ice. She broke into the offensive zone with junior Emily Martino on a 2-on-1. Friedman slid a cross ice pass to Martino who fired the shot past Martin. It was her fifth goal of the season. William Smith took a 3-2 lead on a spectacular individual effort from junior Gina Scibetta. She forced a turnover at her own blue line, skated across the neutral zone and into left faceoff circle. Scibetta spun around a defender deked, around Martin and slipped the puck into the net. It was her team-leading 15th goal of the season. Scibetta’s goal marked the first time that William Smith had a lead in the series and chased Martin from the game.
Mordini’s second goal of the game knotted things at three. She forced a turnover in the offensive zone and wristed a shot past Aalto. Her 10th goal of the season was unassisted. With just under a minute remaining in regulation, a scramble in front of the William Smith goal nearly made overtime unnecessary. Bella Hanson had a shot stopped by Aalto, the rebound popped to Ariella Hoss whose shot was also stoned by Aalto. Hanson’s follow up shot was blocked by senior Kate Klimaszewski.
William Smith had the lone shot in the overtime period.
The Herons finished the game with a 27-25 edge in shots on goal. In a relatively clean game, Elmira was 1-for-2 on the power play and William Smith was 0-for-2 with the extra skater.
The Herons will conclude their regular season next weekend, Feb. 22-23, when they welcome Utica and Nazareth to The Cooler. William Smith will take on the Pioneers on Saturday and the Golden Flyers on Sunday. Faceoff for both games is scheduled for 4 p.m.
