MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The William Smith College ice hockey team used three third period goals to knock off Salve Regina 4-1 in the season opener. Sophomores Laura Rollins and Lindsay Brown shared game-high honors with two assists tonight.
The two teams played a scoreless opening period that saw the Seahawks (0-1-0) outshoot the Herons (1-0-0) 11-4. Junior Maggie Salmon stood tall in the opening period, stopping all 11 Salve Regina shots she faced, including three on an early Seahawks power play.
Salve Regina finally broke through on their 18th shot of the game when Claire Lussier notched her first goal of the game. Amanda Cronin was credited with an assist on the goal.
A little less than four minutes later first-year Kate Klimaszewski tied the game at one with her first collegiate goal. Klimaszewski’s power-play goal was assisted by sophomores Egan Sachs-Hecht and Rollins. Sachs-Hecht slapped a shot on goal that Salve Regina goalie Jennifer O’Connell turned aside. Klimaszewski jumped on the rebound and wristed the shot into the open net. The Herons were able to turn the tide of the game after outshooting Salve Regina 18-9 in the second period.
In the final twenty minutes, William Smith kept its foot on the accelerator. First-year Gina Scibetta gave the Herons a 2-1 lead when she scored her first collegiate goal at 2:11 of the third period. She was assisted by Brown and Rollins. Sophomore Stephanie Hampton pushed the lead to two goals when she snapped a shot past O’Connell. The goal was William Smith’s second power-play goal of the game. Juniors Krista Federow and Rebecca Begley were credited with assists on the goal. The Herons closed out the scoring at 18:24 when Tess Madarasz buried her first goal of the season behind O’Connell. Brown and Madarasz broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1. Brown drew the defender and dished the puck to Madarasz who lifted a shot over the sprawling O’Connell.
Salmon made 23 saves in 60 minutes of action for William Smith. On the other end of the ice, O’Connell made 31 saves.
The Herons went 2 for 6 on the power play while Salve Regina went 0 for 4 with the extra attacker.
The Herons and Seahawks will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in Middletown, R.I. Faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
