HARTFORD, Conn. - The Trini8ty College Bantams earned a point in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) standings but ended up with an overtime loss against the visiting Hamilton College Continentals in women's ice hockey action this evening at Williams Rink in the Koeppel Community Sports Center.  The Bantams fall to 3-3 overall and 0-2-0-1 in the NESCAC with their first loss in four games.  Hamilton improves to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference.  The teams will finish the two-game series in Hartford tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Trinity took a 1-0 lead 4:50 into the game when senior forward Stephanie Nevers (West Suffield, Conn.) scored on a rebound after the initial shot by sophomore forward Martina Exnerova (Nehalozeves, Czechia) was saved by Hamilton's Evie Sheridan.  The Trinity defense held Hamilton to just five shots in the first period and the Bantams led, 1-0, at the first break.  The Continental offense woke up in the second period, as Trinity junior goaltender Hannah Leclair (Kensington, Prince Edward Island) had to make four saves in the first three minutes of the middle frame.  

Hamilton scored with 5:28 remaining in the second period when Maura Holden took a wrist shot from the right wing that appeared to deflect off the pipe but was ruled a goal.  The Continentals outshot Trinity, 16-6, in the second stanza.  The Bantams nearly went ahead midway through the third period but Sheridan barely got a piece of a hard shot in transition by Trinity senior forward Ethel Wlhelmssen (Stockholm, Sweden) and the puck caromed off iron.  Leclair and Sheridan made five saves apiece in the latter half of the third period to keep the game tied.  Hamilton's Abby Smith scored on a short wrister with assists going to Abby Kuhns and Hyla Mosher 2:13 into the 4-on-4 overtime to end it.  Leclair finished with 34 saves and Sheridan had 20 stops.