Womens Ice Hockey

Sena Ito '11 Breaks 1-1 Tie vs. Nichols in 2nd Period & Cards go on for 1st Win - Semester Closes with Setback at UMass Boston

Wesleyan posted its first victory of the season and kept its unbeaten string vs. Nichols alive at three games with a 3-1 home victory Tues., Dec. 7 in a non-league contest.  The Cardinals are now 2-0-1 against the Bison since the teams began playing during the 2008-09 season, with Wesleyan winning that initial contest, 2-0. Last year the teams played to a scoreless tie at Nichols.

Wesleyan broke a 1-1 tie at 2:56 of the second period, just 1:07 after Nichols had evened the count.  Sena Ito '11 (#12, photo upper left) flipped in a rebound of a Emma Ram '11 point shot from the right side to put the Cardinals ahead for good, 2-1.  It was Ito’s first goal of the season.  Wesleyan upped its lead to 3-1 when M.J. Cardin '12 (#25, photo lower left) was sprung free at center ice for a breakaway with a pass from Leah Coe '11.  Cardin moved in on the Nichols keeper and wristed a high shot to the goalie’s right at 14:35 for her second marker of the season.  There was no further scoring in the contest.

Wesleyan had led, 1-0, in the first period on the first career goal of Glenn Hartman-Mattson (#8, photo upper right), as she was set up in the slot for a one-timer on a pass from behind the net by Jill Reynolds '12.  That came at 11:24 of the frame.  Nichols evened the count at 1-1 just 1:49 into the middle stanza with a lofted shot on a loose puck that cleared the left shoulder of Wesleyan keeper Ashleigh Corvi '13 (#35, photo lower right) and trickled into the net.

Wesleyan held a 28-23 edge in shots as Corvi posted 22 stops.  Nichols was 0-for-3 on the power play but went without a penalty if its own so the Cardinals had no power-play attempts.

Wesleyan closed out the semester with a visit to UMass Boston for another non-league affair Fri., Dec. 10.  After a 1-1 first period as the Cardinals got a goal from Ram, the Beacons lit the lamp three times in the second frame and built a 6-1 lead in the third period before Reynolds ended the day's scoring with an unassisted power-play goal, her second marker of the season, for a 6-2 final.  Hartman-Mattson had an assist on Ram's tally.

UMass had a 43-27 shot margin in the contest as Corvi came up with 37 saves.

The Cardinals begin the second semester with their third straight non-conference affair, making a trip to Plymouth St. Tues., Jan. 4.