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Melanie Conca
5
Winner Connecticut Col. CONNECTI 4-1-0, 3-1-0
1
Williams WILLIAMS 2-4-0, 1-3-0
Winner
Connecticut Col. CONNECTI
4-1-0, 3-1-0
5
Final
1
Williams WILLIAMS
2-4-0, 1-3-0
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Connecticut Col. CONNECTI 3 0 2 5
Williams WILLIAMS 1 0 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Ice Hockey |

Conca's Hat Trick Propels Women's Ice Hockey Past Williams

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Senior Melanie Conca (Nutley, N.J.) scored her first career hat trick to propel the Connecticut College women's ice hockey team to a 5-1 win over Williams on Saturday afternoon at Lansing Chapman Rink. 

Conca along with teammates Sydney Frank (Stillwater, N.Y.) and Rylie Griffith (West Hartford, Conn.) tallied goals for the Camels during the victory. 

Conca started the scoring spree in style just 3:34 into the first period. After Caroline O'Keefe (Winthrop, Mass.) banked a pass out of the defensive zone and past the blue line, Conca raced to the puck beating an Ephs defender. The senior skated into the slot, and while falling down,  took an incredible backhanded shot that beat Williams goaltender Amanda Lackmann.

Six minutes later, the Camels added to their lead when Frank was able to put in a rebound in front of the Williams net amid a slew of Conn forwards and Ephs defenders. The goal gave Conn a 2-0 lead and was the first collegiate score for Frank. 

Later on in the first, Conca tallied her second goal of the game to extend the Camels lead to 3-0. After a clearing attempt from the Conn defensive zone, Conca used her speed to corral the loose puck and earned a one-on-one matchup with an Ephs defender. The senior skated by her, pulled off a deke, and once again utilized a backhand shot to put it in past Lackmann.

However, Williams won the ensuing faceoff, and forward Christina Halloran immediately skated down ice and put fired a wrister on net to give the Ephs their first goal of the game. The high-scoring opening 20 minutes concluded with a 3-1 Camels lead.

After an action-packed opening stanza, the second period featured far more defense. The Camels outshot the Ephs 15-9, but both sides could not find the back of the net. 

Following a scoreless middle frame, the Camels extended their lead when Conca scored her third goal of the game, sneaking the puck past Lackmann at the near post to make it a 4-1 lead. With less than five minutes left to play, the visitors added one more when Griffith fired a slap shot just inside the blue line. The puck was perfectly placed, landing in the top left corner of the net for the fifth goal of the night for the Camels.

The 5-1 victory marked the third conference win of the season for Conn and third consecutive win.  

Conca's hat trick was the first by a women's ice hockey player since Erin Dillon in 2019. Including Saturday's efforts, the senior has registered six goals in five games played this season. 

Conn goaltender Abby Wieczorek (Winnetka, Ill.) earned the win, stopping 15 shots while only conceding one goal. Lackmann made 30 saves for the Ephs. The Camels held the significant edge in shots on goal, outshooting Williams 39-16. 

Connecticut College (4-1 overall, 3-1 NESCAC) will next play UMass Boston on the road on Tuesday, December 6.
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