NEW LONDON, Conn. – Junior Caroline O'Keefe (Winthrop, Mass.) set up two goals in leading the Connecticut College women's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over Wesleyan and its first NESCAC win of the season on Friday evening at Dayton Arena.
 
Connecticut College a goal in each of the first two periods and never trailed. The team's first goal came just 5:14 into the opening frame, as Miyu Miyazaki kept an offensive possession alive by winning the puck along the boards and finding O'Keefe. The junior then forward skated around the back side of the net and found Morgan Bronstein in the slot for a one-timer that made its way past Rei Halloran.
 
The Cardinals created their best chance to even the score in the opening frame with just over 11 minutes remaining. Brigitte Goeler-Slough sent a puck from the left corner into a dashing Brooke Keough, but junior Abby Wieczorek (Winnetka, Ill.) read the play well and was able to poke the puck away before Keough could get a point-blank shot off, and the puck sailed wide.
 
The Camels maintained their 1-0 edge into the second and nearly doubled it when junior Melanie Conca was robbed on the right doorstep by Halloran with under four minutes remaining. However, the hosts were still able to double their lead before the second intermission when O'Keefe took a pass off the boards from freshman Kate Hagness (Madison, Conn.) and found Sydney Cresta (Swampscott, Mass.) for a breakaway. The speedy sophomore went in all alone and beat Halloran with a shot that she had no time to react to with her glove.
 
Wesleyan (6-5, NESCAC 2-4), which was knocking on the door earlier in the game, finally broke through and sliced the deficit in half at the 7:19 mark of the third period. Ally Detre collected her own miss off a shot blocked by Kylie McCarthy and fired another shot that hit off of Wieczorek's outstretched leg. Keough, who nearly put the Cardinals on the board in the opening period, was then able to pot the rebound on the open net.
 
The Cardinals attempted to tie the score by pulling Halloran out of the net with a little under three minutes remaining in regulation, but it was to no avail. Multiple shots were blocked by Camel defenders, allowing the hosts to hang on for the win.
 
Wieczorek made 22 saves to earn the victory between the posts for Connecticut College (5-7-2, NESCAC 1-6), which was outshot by a 23-17 margin. Halloran made 15 stops in the loss.
 
Connecticut College and Wesleyan will conclude a weekend series in Middletown tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.