Amherst women’s ice hockey improved its record to 1-2-1 for the season this weekend in a two game series against Trinity. Amherst hosted the Bantams, winning 4-1 on Friday, Dec. 2 and coming out with a 1-1 draw on Saturday, which was also the team’s fifth Annual Pink in the Rink game.
After two rough losses against Connecticut College to start the season, the purple and white came out strong on Friday night, and this consistent offensive pressure paid off. Amherst outshot the Bantams 35-19 and tallied a goal in every period. Jamie McNamara ’19 notched the first goal of the game in the first period off of a pass from first-year Eliza Laycock with 2:17 to play.
The team’s momentum continued into the second period, as Amherst scored two quick goals within a minute of each other. Nearly four minutes into the period, Miriam Eickhoff ’19 widened the lead to 2-0 with a shot to the bottom right corner of the net.
Less than a minute later, Alex Toupal ’18 took a pass from Sara Culhane ’17 and sent a quick wrist shot to the back of the net, pushing the Amherst lead to an insurmountable three goals.
Goalie Sabrina Dobbins ’18 was impressive in net, recording 18 saves on the game. The third period remained scoreless until Kaetlyn Pantera ’19 sent a one-timer from Laycock through the goalie’s five-hole to expand the purple and white’s lead to 4-0.
With 26 seconds remaining, Trinity’s Lindsay Miller found the back of the net, but it was too late, as Amherst held their lead to secure the 4-1 victory.
Saturday night marked Amherst’s Annual Pink in the Rink game, an event that raised money for Cancer Connection, a nonprofit organization that services those battling cancer and their families.
The rink was packed with fans, and the energy was palpable as the purple and white prepared to take on the Bantams for the second night in a row.
Amherst outshot Trinity again on Saturday, 27-16, but were not able to execute on the power play (finishing 0-7). The game finished in a 1-1 tie, with each team’s goalie logging strong games in net. Bailey Plaman ’18 started between the pipes for the purple and white in her first game of the season, registering 15 saves.
The first period and beginning of the second were scoreless until Trinity’s Chandler Solimine broke the stalemate and scored with 9:45 left in the period. Amherst nearly evened the score two minutes later, when Jocelyn Hunyadi ’19 ripped a shot that rebounded and Pantera knocked it in, but the referees called that the whistle had blown before the puck had crossed the line.
Culhane came back at the 8:47 mark with her first goal of the season off of a rebounded shot by Caitlyn Ryan ’17 to knot the score. Neither team managed to score another goal in the third period, sending the game into the mandatory five-minute, sudden-death overtime period.
In the overtime period, both Trinity and Amherst managed to fire one shot on goal, but Plaman and Trinity goalie, Jess Thulin, made the saves, so the game ended in a well-deserved 1-1 draw.
“If everyone is on their game, we’re pretty unstoppable,” said McNamara. “It’s just a matter of focusing our mindset.”
This Wednesday, Dec. 7, the purple and white will play its first away game at Norwich University. They’ll continue this out-of conference stint this coming weekend, Dec. 9-10, with a home game against Manhattanville College on Friday at 7 p.m. at Orr Rink and an away game at Salve Regina University on Saturday.
