NEW LONDON, Conn.-- Sophomore goalkeeper Alexa Pujol (New Canaan, Conn.) made 40 saves to lead the ninth ranked Trinity College women's hockey team to a 3-1 victory at Connecticut College in the NESCAC and season opener for both teams played at Dayton Arena Friday night. Trinity, ranked No. 9 in the nation, starts the season with a 1-0 mark, while the Camels start the year off with a record of 0-1.
Sophomores Sarah Duncan (Dedham, Mass.) and Abby Ostrom (Carlisle, Mass.), and junior Rebecca Rosen (Syosset, N.Y.) tallied scores for Trinity, who won under Interim Head Coach Carson Duggan, in her first game at the helm.
The Camels pressured Trinity in the late stages of the opening period. Dumont made a nifty looking bid with a backhanded shot at 14:17 of the first but the shot was saved by Pujol. Later on, with 3:55 remaining, Dumont took a lead pass from Paige Murray (Andover, Mass.) and tried to go top shelf, but Pujol was able to climb the ladder to make the save near the crossbar.
The Bantams finally got on the board with 2:33 remaining in the first. Duncan re-directed a shot by fisrt-year Samantha Edelson (Northbrook, Ill.) from the point, giving Trinity a 1-0 lead.
In the closing moments of the first period, Camels goalkeeper Amy Leichliter (West Chester, Pa.) broke up a pair of one-on-one situations to keep the game close. With 1:45 remaining, Leichliter denied Brigitte Cellino (Buffalo, N.Y.) with a point-blank stop. Then, with 15 seconds left, Leichliter made another stop to the near post side on Emily Kleidon (Oakdale, Minn.) to thwart the Bantams on another prime scoring chance.
In the middle period, the visitors nearly doubled their lead when Lauren Glynn (Arlington, Mass.) went to her backhand for a shot with 7:05 remaining, but Leichliter was able to make the stop. Later on in the frame with three minutes left, Murray made a cross crease connection with first-year forward Justina Germano (Ashburnham, Mass.), but the shot went just wide of the goal.
With 1:57 remaining in the second, Ostrom was able to break free in the neutral zone and flip one in from her backhand to vault the Bantams out to a 2-0 advantage, which would give Trinity all the offense they would need. Rosen added an insurance marker at 2:12 of the third to make it a 3-0 game. Dumont was able to get the Camels on the board, burying a slap shot from the slot with 12:17 remaining.
Pujol was able to keep the Camels off the scoreboard the rest of the way, as Trinity went on to secure the opening season win. Leichliter stopped 14 shots for the hosts and Kelsie Fralick (West Chester, Pa.) contributed one save in 3:33 of action in the opening period for the Camels.
The teams will meet again, tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. in New London.
Box Score
