Worcester, MA- After a stretch of nearly a week since their last outing, the Lancers Women's Ice Hockey team (7-8, 5-2) is back on home ice in a non-conference meeting with the Curry Colonels. Worcester is looking to get back into the win column after two tight loses in a row in the new week of action.
Final
Worcester State: 2
Curry: 1
How it Happened:
The first period between the Colonels and Lancers was a battle of defensive wills with neither team sacrificing any ground be it score or penalty in the opening 20 minutes. Curry would record 21 attempts on net with Worcester not far behind at 11 attempts of their own as each program worked to find their opening.
The second period continued to see more of the same determined flawless play from the two teams. The Lancers would finally claim the first power play opportunity five minutes into the second off a boarding call on Curry but the staunch defensive power kill would keep the game scoreless. Just moments after regaining full strength the Coonels would have one of their best looks thus far in the game as they rocketed a shot top right but Junior Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA) had cat like reflexes to knock the attempt away. Worcester would finally find their own success in the period with a junior Lea Gasper (Chelmsford, MA) with just over five minutes remaining in the period off an assist from sophomore Abbey Millman (Georgetown, MA). The Lancers would extend the lead and carry a 2-0 lead into the final intermission capitalizing off their second power play opportunity with a graduate student Sydney Vautour (South Hamilton, MA) dish for a chip in from Gaspar off another crisp pass from sophomore Caroline Melanson (Wakefield, MA).
The third period started out with shots from both the Lancers and Colonels. Czerniawski and Hannah Garrett Howard of Curry stood their ground in net. Each goalie had noteworthy saves in net to keep the game within contention for the final period. Curry College would find themselves in desperate need for offensive pressure and at the 2:26 mark in the third Worcester would take a penalty. The Colonels' Sarah Kerr would capitalize on the opportunity of being on the power play and buried the puck in the back of the Lancers net thanks to the assist by Anna Kahl. After pulling their goalie for the final minutes of the game in a bid to tie the game up, Worcester would manage to hold off any further offensive attack to claim the 2-1 victory.
Czerniawski would end the night leading her impenetrable defense with 52 saves and Gaspar claiming the two goals of the game.
What's Next:
Worcester (8-8, 5-2) is quick to return to action and the road as they journey to MCLA tomorrow night for an 8:30pm puck drop versus the Trailblazers to begin conference play again.