Seahawks shutout by Ephs

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team falls 3-0 to Williams College in a non-league match Friday night on the campus of St. George's.

The Ephs got a shutout performance from sophomore net-minder Margaret Draper (Belmont, Mass.) who posted 24 saves to earn her second victory of the season.

Both squads played a sluggish first period with very little scoring chances and play going back and forth in the neutral zone, but the Ephs picked up their game and starting capitalizing on their chances in the second period.

Briana D'Avolio (Reading, Mass.) got called for hooking at 10:14 of the second period giving the Ephs a power play. Emily Eide (Edina, Minn.) would tap home a lose puck 43 seconds later for what would wind up being the game winning goal.

Later a play would break down along the boards in the offensive zone for the Seahawks resulting in a 3-1 rush for Williams. Natalie Bernstein (Kenilworth, Ill.) raced up the right side then sauced a pass across to Hana Beattie (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) who snapped a shot past Salve Regina goaltender Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.) for a 2-0 lead with 1:21 left in the period.

The Seahawks came out aggressive to start the third period to try and spark their offense, but a hooking call just 2:51 into the frame halted the momentum. The Seahawks killed off the penalty but never were able to regain momentum and find a rhythm offensively.

Williams controlled the neutral zone making it difficult for Salve Regina to get out of its own end, while also stymieing puck carriers trying to enter the zone forcing the Seahawks to dump and chase. The Ephs defenders did a good job of clearing out dumped pucks keeping Salve Regina from setting up in the zone.

The Ephs would score their final goal at 9:35 of the third to ice the game. Sara Lehman (Lexington, Mass.) drove the net against four Seahawks defenders and lightly knifed a shot towards Marcik. Marcik missed freezing the puck and it trickled to her right where Lehman, falling down, was able to tap it in for the score. 

Overall shots in the game were almost equal, 27 for Williams and 24 for Salve Regina, but the quality scoring chances belonged to the Ephs.

With the loss the Seahawks now fall to 3-4-1 on the season and will play Wesleyan University on December 6 at 8 p.m.

The Ephs (2-3-0), who snap a three game losing streak, return home to face Manhattanville on Sunday December 7 at 5 p.m.