Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Women's Ice Hockey team (7-13-1, 5-2-1) heads out to North Adams tonight to play the first of an away-home series with the MCLA Trailblazers (4-15-1, 0-7-1). Worcester claimed the first two victories of the season over the Trailblazers in their inaugural season in the ECHA conference, and look to grab win number three to help solidify their conference standings.

Final

Worcester State: 7

MCLA: 0

How it Happened:

Worcester would come out of the gate quick on attack, firing their first shot just 45 seconds into the opening period of action. That action would not let up  as they pummeled the Trailblazers Juliette Barney which rapid fire shot after shot. A penalty just two and half minutes into the game would provide the Lancers their first power play opportunity but the still fresh legged MCLA was able to end the threat without conceding an opening goal for Worcester. Almost halfway through the period the Lancers would be penalized with a call of their own, but even with a skater down, the Lancers controlled the action, allowing just a single shot for MCLA while collecting three of their own in the period. 

Coming directly off the success of their power play kill, Worcester would finally wear down the Trailblazers endurance, as graduate student Katie Puumala (Framingham, MA) would collect a rebounded pass from sophomore Cailey Ryan (Acton, MA) and send the puck flying into net for goal number one. The Lancer intensity would remain high after the score, recording a second power play opportunity, which would lead to goal number two as senior Cassidhe Wozniak (Turner Falls, MA) slipped the puck into net off the slick dishes of first year Fiona Hatton (Homer, AK) and senior Ellen Cook (Becket, MA). Coming straight off the power play goal, Worcester would gain another skater advantage, but this time MCLA was able to stave off the attempt at goal number three. That show of force would only last for a few moments longer as just over a minute later first year Abbey Millman (Georgetown, MA) would recover the puck and slip it past the keeper for the third goal of the period. 

While Worcester would end the period still firing, an additional goal would not come in the first, as the Lancers took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission, outshooting the Trailblazers 24-2.

Much like the first period the Lancers came out of the break instantly on the attack, retrieving the initial face off of the second period and scoring within the first few seconds after Wozniak was able to knock in the goal off of the assist by Puumala. While the Lancers were slapped with a penalty four minutes into the period, and another penalty directly after, they were still able to keep the Trailblazers away from their goal for the most part and keep them from scoring their first goal of the game through the back-to-back power plays. 

After multiple minutes of fighting for possession of the puck, the Lancers were able to push down the ice once again showing off their offensive firepower and were able to put another goal into the net off of the stick of Ryan as she was assisted by the slick passing of Puumala as well as Wozniak, again back in on the action.

The end of the second period would see the Lancers on a power play as the Trailblazers were assessed with a tripping call, but unfortunately Worcester was not able to convert any shots to end the period as the score remained 5-0 heading into the third. 

The opening five minutes of the third and final period of play would see the Lancers be assessed with another penalty, resulting in yet another power play opportunity for the Trailblazers, but the hard-nosed defense of the Lancers would see to it that they again did not score any goals regardless of the player advantage. 

With just over two minutes remaining in the game, Wozniak was able to get in on the scoring action once again for her third goal of the game, giving the Lancers a six goal lead over the Trailblazers with the assist once again by Ryan helping Wozniak go for the hat trick. Just a few minutes later, with only 7.9 seconds remaining in the game the Lancers were able to score once again off of the stick of sophomore Caroline Gates (Natick, MA) who was able to get in on this high scoring Lancer attack with the help of first year Madelyn Franta (Superior, WI) on the assist.

Sophomore Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA) would end the night with 11 saves while Wozniak would lead the Lancers with her hat trick on the night.

The Lancers now sit at (8-13-1, 6-2-1) while MCLA moves to (4-16-1, 0-8-1) in the last two weeks of the season. Both teams will next head to Worcester, and the Fidelity Bank Ice Center, as they faceoff tomorrow night at 7:10pm in the Worcester States Domestic Violence Awareness Game at 7:10pm. Jerseys are being auctioned and donations will be accepted.