Three third-period goals and a hat trick by Yale’s Hanna Astrom snapped a 2-2 tie and helped Yale to a 5-2 win over St. Lawrence women’s hockey on Saturday afternoon in New Haven. After a weekend split of ECAC contests, the Saints are in a three-way tie for fifth with 10 points at 5-5-0 in conference.
“We played hard and had some fabulous chances,” Head Coach Chris Wells said. “A few pucks bounced over our sticks by the net and Mandl made some outstanding saves to give Yale the win.”
Mandl finished with 32 saves for the Bulldogs, as the Saints held a 34-22 advantage in shots on goal. Sophomore Brooke Wolejko made 17 saves in the loss.
Senior Kailee Heidersbach and sophomore Hannah Miller tallied the St. Lawrence goals, with Miller’s coming on the power play in the third period to pull the Saints even.
Yale jumped out to a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the opening frame on Astrom’s third of the year.
Heidersbach pulled the Saints even at 1-1 just beyond the 13 minute mark when she and Miller moved into the Bulldogs zone on an odd-man rush. Miller hit Heidersbach in the slot for a sweeping one-timer that found its way behind Hannah Mandl inside the far post.
After Nadine Edney was assessed major penalty late in the first period, Jamie Haddad scored her first of two on the afternoon for Yale on the power play early in the second to retake the lead, 2-1; a lead they carried into the third period.
With the Saints on the power play early in the third period, Miller’s sixth of the year pulled the visitors even at 2-2. Amanda Boulier and Brooke Webster played the puck along the blue line before Webster fed the North Vancouver, B.C. native deep in the zone. Miller’s flat angle shot snuck under Mandl’s arm.
Astrom scored just over a minute later for the game winner for the Bulldogs and again at the 12:41 mark before Haddad’s added an empty-net goal in the final minute to seal the win.
The Saints will return to Appleton Arena next weekend for an ECAC series with Harvard and Dartmouth.
