Bantams Tie No. 4-Ranked Middlebury To Stay Unbeaten

Hartford, Conn. – Senior captain forward Hillary McNamara (Milton, Mass.) scored the game-tying goal with 12:14 left in the third period and junior goaltender Alexa Pujol (New Canaan, Conn.) finished with 44 saves to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 1-1 tie against the visiting Middlebury College Panthers in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's ice hockey action on Saturday, December 1 at Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center. Trinity remained unbeaten at 2-0-2 overall and 1-0-2 in the NESCAC, shaking off an 11-day break since its last game, while the No. 4-ranked Panthers fell to 3-1-1 overall and 2-0-1 in the league. 

The contest was a "Pink the Rink" event dedicated to the fight against breast cancer, and proceeds from the game went towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Trinity wore pink uniforms for the game in addition to selling t-shirts, bracelets, and cozies at the game. There was also a silent auction with NHL-signed memorabilia and other hockey/breast cancer themed items at the game. The Trinity women's ice hockey program's stated goal was to raise $10,000 toward this cause, and finsihed with a final total of $13,155.00.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation's mission is to save lives by increasing awareness of breast cancer through education and by providing mammograms for those in need. NBCF accomplishes this mission through various initiatives. NBCF programs provide women help for today and hope for tomorrow.

Watch Hillary McNamara's game-tying goal

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead with 3:42 left in the opening period when senior forward Molly Downey (East Sandwich, Mass.) scored from sophomore forward Emily Fluke (Sandwich, Mass.) and Hannah Bielawski (Evanston, Ill.) on a power play.  Trinity held a 9-to-5 edge on shots after one period, but the Panthers peppered Pujol with 40 shots without a goal over the next 45 minutes.  Trinity nearly tied it with just under five minutes left in the second, but Middlebury Annabelle Jones (Homer, N.Y.) made one of her 20 saves with a glove stab behind her body against Trinity sophomore forward Lucy Robinson (Toronto, Ontario) on a breakaway.

McNamara netted the Bantam goal off a pass from behind the net by junior forward Whitney Colbert (Ithaca, N.Y.), and sophomore forward Lauren Fitzgerald (Milton, Mass.) also had a helper on the play.  Pujol made multiple saves to help stave off a Panther power play later in the second period, and stopped Fluke one-on-one on the final bid of regulation with three seconds on the clock.  The Trinity blueliners blocked three shots and Pujol made two saves while playing the last 1:50 of the overtime with three skaters against four.

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