WOMEN’S HOCKEY PUSHES PAST UNION 2-1 IN OVERTIME
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (01/07/12) – The Colgate women’s hockey team secured its third ECAC Hockey win of the season on Saturday afternoon when it defeated Union 2-1 in overtime at Messa Rink.
Sophomore Taylor Volpe scored the game-winning goal in overtime with an assist from senior co-captain Amanda Kirwan, while junior Brittany Phillips scored the Raiders’ opening goal.
After both dropping league matchups on Friday, both teams came out looking to take an early lead as they searched for the opening goal. Colgate (8-11-1, 3-5-1 ECAC Hockey) had a couple of close opportunities in the opening minutes and despite having the first power play opportunity midway through the frame, the team could not get on the scoreboard. Union then earned an extra skater advantage of its own later in the period but at the end of the first 20 minutes of play neither team had found the back of the net.
The Dutchwomen came into the second period playing a more aggressive game, which resulted in three penalties being called against them. However, even after earning three power play opportunities in the stanza, the Raiders could not find a way to capitalize on the advantages, resulting in yet another scoreless 20 minutes of play. Colgate outshot the Dutchwomen 14-8 in the second frame.
It was not until the third period that both teams were able to break the 41-minute dry spell. The Raiders got on the scoreboard first with an unassisted goal from Phillips just 1:56 into the stanza to give her team the 1-0 lead. Colgate then held the advantage for the next eight minutes, during which Union was able to find its shooting momentum and eventually get on the scoreboard with a power play goal from Rhianna Kurio at the 9:33 mark to tie the game at 1-1 and send it into overtime.
The Dutchwomen came out to an attacking start in the extra period, firing a trio of shots at the net but could not get past Colgate’s defense, which blocked all three attempts. An interference penalty on Union at the 1:12 mark then gave the Raiders their eighth power play opportunity of the game. After a series of shots, Colgate was finally able to find the game-winner from Volpe with just two seconds left in the extra skater advantage to give the Raiders their third league win.
Senior Kimberly Sass had 25 saves for Colgate while Kate Gallagher had 29 stops for the Dutchwomen. The Raiders went 1-for-8 on the power play while Union scored on one of its three extra skater opportunities.
Colgate will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 10 with a league matchup against nationally-ranked Cornell at 7 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.
HAMILTON, N.Y. (11/26/11) – Junior Brittany Phillips scored her first career hat trick and added an assist to lead the Colgate women’s hockey team past Vermont 5-1 on Saturday afternoon in the first matchup of the two-game set in Starr Rink.
Phillips had four points from three goals and one assist while classmate Jenna Klynstra also had four points from four assists. Sophomore Taylor Volpe added the game-winning goal and an assist for the Raiders while sophomore Rachel Walsh also scored a goal.
After a slow start to the game in which only two shots were taken, both of which came from Colgate (6-9-1, 2-4-1 ECAC Hockey), a hooking penalty on Vermont allowed the Raiders an extra skater at the beginning of the fourth minute. Colgate soon capitalized seconds later at the 4:08 mark when Phillips received a pass from Volpe and blasted it into the back of the net to give her team a 1-0 lead.
Junior Jessica Hootz was also credited with an assist. As the game progressed, the Catamounts found their offensive rhythm with a trio of power play opportunities. They came close to scoring in the 13th minute when a shot made its way past senior goalie Kimberly Sass but hit the pipe. However, at the end of the first 20 minutes of play, the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Raiders.
In the second period Colgate played a very attacking game. An early penalty on Vermont once again allowed the Raiders to find their shooting momentum, forcing Kelci Lanthier to make some impressive saves. Then, at the 1:54 mark, a powerful shot from Phillips off a pass from Klynstra was mishandled by Lanthier and dropped in front of Volpe.
Volpe then knocked it into the back of the net to score Colgate’s second power play goal. The Raiders continued to hold the shooting advantage throughout most of the period and then, at the 15:46 mark, netted their third goal when Klynstra passed the puck to Phillips who then carried it down the center of the ice and fired it past the goalie into the top right corner of the frame.
Senior co-captain Amanda Kirwan also had an assist in the play. Phillips then tallied her third goal of the game less than four minutes later when she skated in from the left side, went along the edge of the crease and then slipped the puck around the goalie to put the score at 4-0. Klynstra and senior Kristi-Lyn Pollock had assists in the goal. Colgate outshot Vermont 15-4 in the second period.
In the final 20 minutes of play, Vermont came out playing an offensive game as it searched for its first goal. The Catamounts held the shooting advantage in the first seven minutes of the stanza. However, a series of Vermont penalties allowed the Raiders to find their attacking rhythm once again midway through the period and find a fifth goal at the 12:52 mark.
After previously having a goal by freshman Miriam Drubel called back by the officials at the 9:20 mark, Colgate made up for it when Klynstra picked up a pass from sophomore Megan Wickens and shot it on net. Walsh then pounced on the rebound from the save and slid it into the goal to increase the Raiders’ lead to five goals. Vermont was eventually able to find its first goal with 22 seconds left in the game to deny Colgate the shut out and put the final score at 5-1. The Raiders held a 34-20 shooting advantage in the game.
Kimberly Sass had 19 saves for Colgate while Kelci Lanthier had 29 stops for the Catamounts. The Raiders scored on two of their seven power play chances while Vermont went 1-for-6 on the extra skater advantage.
Colgate will resume play tomorrow (Nov. 27) with a second matchup against Vermont at 2 p.m. in Starr Rink. This will be the Raiders’ final game of the 2011 portion their schedule.
