NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College women's ice hockey team's comeback effort came up short, as the Camels fell to visiting Trinity College 4-2 on Friday night from Dayton Arena. With the loss, Conn opens the year 0-1 overall and 0-1 in NESCAC play, while Trinity starts 1-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Conn opened the game with the first shot on net, as Casey Chesner (Great Falls, Va.) forced a save by Madeline Carter just 1:50 in. Trinity answered with the next four shots on goal, but Jillian Wexler (Plainsboro, N.J.) started strong. With six and a half minutes left in the opening period, the Bantams opened the scoring on the power play. Paige Kehoe picked up a loose pick behind the net, before firing to open the scoring at 13:37. Conn had a couple of chances to tie the game, but both Ashley Engle (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and Claire Sammons (Naperville, Ill.) were stopped, as Trinity led 1-0 after one.
Conn started the second period strong, getting an early power play. Alana Burm (Hingham, Mass.) came close to tying the game at 2:36 but her shot was stopped by Carter. However, Trinity was able to push the lead to 3-0 with two goals in the span of 10 seconds. Kate French made it 2-0 at 4:50, before a quick marker from Anne Levia made it 3-0. The Bantams continued their strong play in the middle frame, extending the lead to 4-0 with 2:40 left on a marker from Jenny Guider, to lead 4-0 heading to third.
The Camels used a good start in the final frame to generate some momentum. After a save from Devon Galizio (Wayland, Mass.), Conn forced three more saves from Carter, with shots from Engle, Caitlin Pierce (Edgewater, N.J.), and Jess Pistorino (Charlestown, Mass.). With 11 minutes remaining, the Camels earned a power play and capitalized. Galen Kilfeather (Wydmoore, Pa.) hit Kylie McCarthy (Weston, Mass.), who let a shot go from the point, where Pierce redirected the shot to make it 4-1 at 9:16. Conn continued to push, looking to cut the deficit, and with just over two minutes left, found a second goal. Pierce tallied her second marker, off an assist from Kilfeather, making it 4-2. Conn continued to look for another marker, but was unable to, falling 4-2.
Trinity outshot Conn 19-13, while winning 41 of 56 face-offs.
Wexler got the start in goal, making nine saves on 13 shots, before Galizio finished the game stopping all six shots faced. Pierce paced the Camels with two goals, while Kilfeather added two helpers and McCarthty added an assist. Sammons and Pierce led Conn in the face-off circle, with both winning six draws.
Carter got the win in net, stopping 11 of 13 shots. French and Kehoe led the Bantams with two points on one goal and one assist each, with Guider and Levia adding a goal, with Lillian Cassidy and Martina Exnerova both picking up an assist.
Conn wraps up the weekend series with the Bantams tomorrow night for the back half of the home-and-home at 7:00 p.m. in Hartford, Conn.
