GENEVA, N.Y.-The William Smith College ice hockey team collected its first win of 2018, defeating UMass Boston 3-1 in non-conference action at The Cooler this afternoon. First-year Olivia Williams made 37 saves in her collegiate debut to secure the win for the Herons.
William Smith (8-2-3) was led offensively by sophomore Gina Scibetta, who had a goal and an assist in the win. First-year Julia Mings and junior Laura Rollins also had goals for the Herons. Rachel Myette had 31 saves in goal for the Beacons (4-7-3).
Mings opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 17:13 of the first period. She collected a loose puck in the slot and flipped a shot past Myette. Scibetta and sophomore Kate Klimaszewski were credited with assists on the goal. The goal was Mings’ fifth of the season.
The first period featured action on both ends of the ice with the Herons holding a slight 9-8 edge in shots on goal.
Scibetta scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal at 9:13 of the second period. Egan Sachs-Hecht was credited with an assist on the goal. Sachs-Hecht caused a turnover in the defensive end and raced down the left wing. She fired a pair of shots on goal that Myette kicked aside. Scibetta pounced on the second rebound and fired the puck into the back of the net. It was her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
Kaleigh Beauregard had UMass Boston’s best scoring opportunity of the middle period. She collected the puck in the slot but her point-blank shot turned aside by Williams’ blocker.
The Beacons came out of the second intermission flying and drew within one just 17 seconds into the third. Off the opening faceoff, Edy Moritz broke into the offensive zone and had a wrist shot stopped by a sprawling Williams. Moritz’s follow-up shot was swept off the goal line by Maura Mulligan<http://hwsathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13203>. Lizy Saxer broke up Mulligan’s clearing attempt at the blue line and fired the puck into the net. It was Saxer’s first goal of the season.
UMass continued to apply pressure throughout the period, outshooting the Herons 19-12, but could not find an equalizer. The Beacons’ best chances came in the final minute of the game. With William Smith killing off a tripping penalty, UMass pulled its goalie for the extra-attacker for the final 1:26 of regulation. Emily Harris and Julia Nolan nearly tied the game but could not get the puck past a diving Williams.
Rollins iced the game for William Smith with a shorthanded empty-net goal with 14 seconds left on the clock. She lifted a clearing attempt from her own blue line that trickled down the rink and into the net. It was Rollins’ first goal of the season.
With three goals and five points in tonight’s game, William Smith set program records for goals (51), and points (130) in a single season. The Herons set the single-season assists record (79) last night. William Smith’s eighth win of the season matches the program record for wins in a season set back in 2015.
Williams, the sixth goalie to start a game for the Herons, is the first to secure a win in her collegiate debut.
The Herons finished the night 1-for-3 on the power play while UMass Boston was 0-for-4 with the extra skater.
William Smith will be back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 9, when it travels to Buffalo, N.Y. The Herons will take on former ECAC West rival Buffalo State at 4 p.m.
