Hartford, Conn. – After falling behind, 3-0, to start the game, the Trinity College Bantams skated to a 4-4 overtime tie with the Wesleyan University Cardinals this afternoon in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's ice hockey action on Williams Rink at the Koeppel Community Sports Center.  The game is Trinity's fourth overtime tie in their last five games, putting the Bantams at 10-7-7 overall and 5-6-5 at the end of the regular season, and leaving Wesleyan at 8-10-6 overall and 5-6-5 in league play.

Trinity needed a win today to secure home ice in the NESCAC Quarterfinals next week, but the Bantams and Wesleyan close the regular season with identical league records, with Wesleyan holding the tie-breaker.  Both teams have qualified for the NESCAC Championship Tournament, starting on Sat., Mar. 1.

Wesleyan made a strong statement to open the game, shocking Trinity with three goals in the opening 14:05.  With the game looking like it could slip away from Trinity, junior Lucy Robinson (Toronto, Ontario) scored a short-handed goal with 3:33 remaining in the opening frame, cutting Wesleyan's lead to 3-1.  

 
Trinity closed the gap even further when sophomore Emma Tani (Orange, Calif.) opened the second period with a goal, bringing the score to 3-2.  Midway through the period, Trinity found themselves in a tight situation, when Wesleyan picked up a five versus three advantage.  The penalty kill unit rescued Trinity from falling behind further by killing the power play, giving the Bantams additional momentum to build on.  The swing immediately came in handy for the Bantams who went on a power play of their own before junior Emily Riccio (Simsbury, Conn.) scored with 5:04 left in period to tie the game at 3-3.  Thirty-one seconds later, senior Abby Ostrom (Carlisle, Mass.) added another score, giving Trinity their first lead of the game, 4-3.  

The high-scoring start of the game had simmered by the third period, which featured just one goal, a tally by Wesleyan sophomore Laura Mead (Morristown, N.J.), evening the score at 4-4.  The game would remain tied for the remainder of regulation, setting up overtime.   Wesleyan came close on two occasions in the overtime period, with shots by junior Jordan Schildhaus (Woodbury, N.Y.) and classmate Laura Wasnick (North Olmsted, Ohio), but Trinity senior goalie Kristen Maxwell (Nashville, Tenn.) made two key stops to preserve the tie, Trinity's seventh of the season, a program record.  The most ties ever in a season for Trinity before this year were four, which was done twice, both in 2010-11 and 2012-13.

Maxwell and senior Alexa Pujol (New Canaan, Conn.) shared time in net for Trinity, with Maxwell recording 25 saves in over two periods of action.  Sophomore Laura Concoran (Oakville, Ontario) played the majority of minutes for Wesleyan, sharing time with classmate Corrine Rivard (Glendale, Az.).  Rivard did not allow a goal in 29:33 minutes of action.

Trinity will face the Williams College Ephs, at Williams, next Sat., at either 1 or 4 p.m.  The game will be webcast live, and accessible via athletics.trincoll.edu.  

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