NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Sophomore
Shayleigh Nielsen (Hudson, N.H.) scored the lone goal on the power play for the Western Connecticut State University women's ice hockey team late in the first period on Saturday, but the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts scored twice in the third to beat the Wolves, 2-1, in a back-to-back matchup. The loss came a day after WestConn won the program's first-ever contest at home, 5-2, over MCLA.
Nielsen scored at 12:56 of the first period with MCLA's Nicolette Bardsley in the penalty box for tripping. Junior Mackenzie Day (New Hudson, Mich.) and freshman Gabrielle Griffith (Newport, Vt.) assisted, and WestConn led 1-0 despite being outshot 17-13 in the period.
The second period was scoreless. MCLA outshot WestConn 13-10, but rookie goaltender Ava Wisinski (Jackson, Wisc.) kept the game at 1-0. WestConn took three penalties in the first two periods, and first-year Aaliyah Osawamick (Sudbury, Ontario) drew a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct for contact to the head at 18:27 of the second.
The game turned early in the third period. WestConn was called for hooking at 8:15, and MCLA's Milena Monell tied it on the power play at 8:17, with assists from Lola Edwards and Maggie Danchak. Danchak scored the game-winner, unassisted, with 1:02 left in the regulation. The visitors pulled Wisinski for an extra attacker for the final 38 seconds but couldn't get the equalizer.
Wisinski racked up 43 saves on 45 shots. MCLA's Kaitlyn O'Brien stopped 32 of 33 shots for the win. Sophomore Alyssa Jimenez (Norwalk, Conn.), who scored twice in Friday's win, led WestConn with seven shots, Day had five shots to go with her assist, and freshman Edith Hayes (East Hartford, Conn.) and Osawamick each had four. Rookie Elena Seremetis (Burlington, Mass.) won 17 of 34 faceoffs for the Wolves.
WestConn took 25 penalty minutes to MCLA's eight and killed six of MCLA's seven power plays. MCLA went 1-for-7 with the extra skater, and WestConn went 1-for-3.
Both teams moved to 1-1 overall. The Wolves return to the ice when they head to Vermont State University Castleton for their inaugural Little East Conference contest on Friday at 6 p.m. (FULL BOX SCORE COMING SOON...)
