GENEVA, N.Y. – The William Smith College ice hockey team and eighth ranked Connecticut College skated to a 1-1 tie at the Cooler this afternoon. First-year Devon Strachan made a career-high 39 stops in goal for the Herons.
Connecticut College (6-2-1) opened the scoring with 52 seconds remaining in the first period. Stephanie Izzi collected her own rebound and wristed a shot past Strachan. The 5-on-3 power-play goal was assisted by Katlyn Paiva and was the fourth power-play goal on the weekend for the Camels.
William Smith (3-7-2) kept Connecticut College off the board in the second period with Strachan stopping 13 Camel shots. The Herons penalty kill flexed its muscles, killing off a 5-on-3 to start the period and allowing just two shots on a five minute major late in the period. At the opposite end of the rink, Bailey Mertz stopped nine shots to keep Connecticut College’s lead at 1-0 at the end of two periods.
Junior captain Rebecca Begley cashed in with a power-play goal at 2:21 of the third period to tie the game at 1-1. She slapped a shot from the point that trickled between Mertz’s pads into the back of the net. Sophomore Jordan Roetzer was credited with an assist on the goal. Junior Kiley Fewster had two opportunities to win the game for the Herons in the closing minutes. With 5:30, remaining in the period, she forced a turnover in her own zone, carried the puck down the left wing, but had her snap shot turned aside by Mertz. Two minutes later, she fired a shot off of the left post.
Connecticut College recorded all three shots on goal in the overtime period. Elena Gualtieri had the Camel’s best scoring opportunity but her shot glanced off the post and Strachan covered up the rebound to force a faceoff.
Strachan played all 65 minutes in goal for the Herons, making 39 saves. At the opposite end of the rink, Mertz stopped 29 of the 30 shots she faced in 64:43 between the pipes.
Both teams connected on the power play in this afternoon’s game. The Herons were 1-for-3 with the extra skater, while the Camels were 1-for-6.
William Smith will be back in action on Jan. 11, when it travels to SUNY Canton to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule. The Herons will be back at The Cooler on Jan. 21 when they host Elmira in the second half of a home-and-home series with the Soaring Eagles.
