HARTFORD, Conn. – The Trinity College women's ice hockey team earned a 2-0 victory over visiting Hamilton College on Friday evening to open their New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) series. With the win, the Bantams improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in NESCAC play, while the Continentals dropped to 0-3 both overall and in conference competition.
Both teams' goalies were strong in the opening two periods, with Trinity sophomore Madeline Carter recording 12 saves and Hamilton's goalie tallying 20. The game remained scoreless through the first and second periods, despite a few chances.
The first opportunity for the Continentals came just 4:42 into the game, when Bantams' Anne Levia was whistled for interference, giving Hamilton a power play. However, Trinity's penalty kill was flawless, preventing any shots on goal and denying Hamilton any offensive momentum.
In the second period, both teams had power-play opportunities, but neither was able to capitalize during their respective two-minute advantages. At 13:10, the Bantams were awarded a second power play, and Martina Exnerova had a great chance to break the deadlock with a shot on goal, but Hamilton's goaltender, Brown, made the save. The game remained scoreless as the teams headed into the third period.
Trinity broke the tie early in the third, scoring just 4:22 into the period. Sophomore Kate French fired home a rebound off a flurry of shots from her teammates, with Sydney Courtmanche providing the assist. The Bantams' quick burst resulted in five shots on net, and French was the one to capitalize, giving Trinity a 1-0 lead.
Hamilton then earned a power-play opportunity at 6:55, trailing by just one goal. The Continentals fired three shots during the power play, but none found the back of the net. Trinity's defense was strong, with Levia and Ava Gosnell blocking shots to preserve the 1-0 lead.
With just over a minute left in the game, Hamilton pulled their goalie in an attempt to tie the game. However, a misplay in the Continentals' zone allowed Bantams forward Paige Kehoe to intercept the puck. Kehoe quickly found graduate student Jenny Guider in the neutral zone, and Guider calmly sent the puck into the empty net from just inside the blue line to seal the 2-0 win for Trinity.
The Bantams dominated the shot count, firing 36 shots on goal compared to Hamilton's 17. Trinity also excelled defensively, registering 17 blocked shots, with Levia leading the way with four. Hamilton recorded 15 blocks. The Bantams won 31 faceoffs, with senior Martina Exnerova contributing 14 faceoff victories. Hamilton won 19 faceoffs overall. In net, Carter recorded a career-high 17 saves and earned her first career shutout.
Trinity will return to action on Saturday, November 23, at 4PM in Koeppel Community Sports Center for the second game of their series against Hamilton.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
