Seahawks blanked by Ephs

Williamstown, Mass. -The Williams Ephs (4-2-2) blanked the Salve Regina Seahawks (2-12-0), 7-0.

The Ephs started out with an exciting first period. The squad opened up with four early game goals and kept the pressure on until another one went in at the end of the period. The first goal came at 1:52 from senior Kearan Burke with an assist from freshman Mia Carrol. Burke was able to clear the defenders off of the boards to deek one past the Seahawk netminder, junior Jennifer O'Connell.

The second goal came shortly after at 4:10. Assisted by juniors Annie Rush and Abby Brustad, freshman Meghan Halloran took a pass in the neutral zone to put one over O'Connell's shoulder.

Not even a minute had passed when the Ephs scored their third goal of the period. Senior Alex Lovaas skated into the corner with the puck and had meant to cross the puck into the Seahawk crease but the puck deflected off a Seahawk defender and into the back of the bet at 4:54.

They extended their lead to four when some fancy passing led to a goal at 8:19 from sophomore Hallie Whitmore. She was assisted by sophomore Caroline Dignard and junior Olivia Stokes. This goal was the fourth Williams goal in just ten short opening minutes.

Another eight minutes past but the Ephs' lead was maintained at 4-0 until an open opportunity allowed them to get one more. The Seahawks were able to clear their zone just in time for a line change. The time outside the Seahawk zone was brief and the Ephs were able to quickly reroute the puck back into their offensive zone. While on the line change, the Seahawks left junior Anna Fucillo wide open at the point to take a quick shot from a pass from freshmen Avery Dunn and Georgia Keogh.

The Ephs rode their five goal lead into the second period but did not slack. They maintained the pressure on Salve Regina and late into the second period, scored their sixth. Junior Abby Brustad tipped in a snap shot from Halloran and Mancheski at 15:42. The play immediately after the goal gave the Seahawks their first real opportunity to get at least one goal back. A mixup in the neutral zone sent a Seahawk skater on a breakaway. Anderson stepped up and closed the gap to save the breakaway shot to keep the Seahawks scoreless.

An early third period goal was the last for the Ephs for the game and came at 2:28. Lovaas scored her second of the game. She maintained possession from the Seahawk corner and finally cleared the defense to skate into the middle of the zone. She took one quick shot over the shoulder of Seahawk netminder, freshman Gretchen Howard (subbed in for O'Connell at the start of the third). Lovaas was assisted by Stokes and Mancheski.