ASTON, Pa.- William Smith College junior Lindsay Brown scored two goals to lead William Smith to a 4-1 UCHC victory over Neumann this afternoon. With the win, the Herons extend their unbeaten streak to eight games and are 6-0-2 overall and 4-0-2 in conference play this year.
The Knights are now 5-4-2 overall and 3-2-1 in the UCHC. Senior Catherine Linehan and sophomore Gina Scibetta also scored for William Smith. Senior goalie Maggie Salmon made 24 saves in goal.
Linehan opened the scoring at the 6:28 mark of the first period with her first goal of the season. Junior Egan Sachs-Hecht was credited with an assist on the goal. Sachs-Hecht had her initial shot from the point blocked. Linehan pounced on the loose puck and flipped the shot past Helen Cooney.
Neumann tied the game 49 seconds later when Bek Lucas pocketed her 14th goal of the season. She broke down the left wing and wristed a shot between Salmon’s legs and into the back of the net. The Knights had a chance to take the lead when the Herons were called for a pair of penalties at 11:19. William Smith was able to successfully kill both penalties, limiting the Knights to a single shot on goal during the 5-on-3.
Lucas was awarded a penalty shot at 17:50 of the first period but Salmon made perhaps her biggest save of the day on the attempt to keep the game tied at one.
Brown’s first of the game and second of the season at 19:28 of the second period would prove to be a game winner. Brown broke up a Neumann dump in attempt along the boards in the neutral zone. She carried the puck down the left wing and fired a shot past Conney’s blocker across the goal line.
Brown put the game out of reach with a shorthanded goal at the 14:06 mark of the third period. She blocked a shot at her own blue line and out raced the Neumann defender down the ice. Once in the offensive zone, Brown put the puck on her backhand and lifted the shot over Cooney’s right leg pad. With less than two minutes remaining, Brown nearly completed the hat trick but fired a shot off the left post. Scibetta would add an empty net goal with 45 seconds remaining in the period.
Cooney made 23 stops in goal for the Knights. William Smith was strong once again on the penalty kill, killing off five of Neumann’s six opportunities. The Herons came away empty on their two power play opportunities.
With six wins this season, Salmon has matched William Smith’s single-season wins record that she set last year.
The Herons will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 8, when they host Cortland. Faceoff at The Cooler is scheduled for 7 p.m.
