KEENE, N.H. – Following a week since their last contest, the Keene State College women's hockey team returned to the ice back at home on Sunday against Williams College and despite the scoreless first period, the Ephs eventually pulled away from the Owls to defeat KSC, 4-1.

Records

• Keene State: 4-4 (2-3 LEC)
• Williams: 3-1-2 (0-1-1 NESCAC)

How it Happened


Williams was on the attack early in the contest, but Ai Chung saved the first two shots that she faced in net for KSC, and the Owls' defense blocked three shots over the first three minutes of action. After the Owls were called for a penalty a minute later, KSC was the first team with a shot on goal while the Ephs had the skater advantage as Emily Edmunds had a breakaway in her first game on the attack for the Owls, but she was denied as Eva Bentley made her first save of the day. The rest of the penalty was killed off by KSC as Chung made another pair of saves and the Owls' defense blocked two more shots. After Chung made another pair of saves in the sixth minute of the contest, the Owls applied the pressure themselves shortly after as they recorded four shots over 2:25, but Bentley saved each shot as the game remained scoreless with eight minutes remaining in the first. The rest of the opening period was all the Ephs as they recorded 12 shots the rest of the eight minutes as Chung made four saves, Ellie Patrick led the Owls defense with two of five blocked shots, while the other three shots missed the target and the teams headed into the second tied 0-0.
 
Following a penalty against Williams at the end of the first period, the Owls opened the second on the power play for their first chance of the day. KSC got off four shots over the two minutes but only one reached the target, that Bentley saves for the Ephs. Over the next 5:05, the Ephs continued to try to find their first goal of the day, but Chung denied them by making eight more saves in net for KSC. After a faceoff win in the Owls' defensive zone, Williams forced a turnover leading to Jaelyn Keiver scoring her first goal of the day for Williams to take a 1-0 lead. The Ephs looked to take a two-goal lead as KSC was called for a penalty 36 seconds later, but KSC killed the penalty off again as Chung made three more saves and Patrick blocked another shot for the Owls. 10:47 into the second, the Owls were called for another penalty, but over the next 1:50 the Owls held the Ephs off with a pair of blocked shots and a save by Chung. With 10 seconds remaining in the power play, both teams were called for a penalty that gave the Ephs a 4-on-3 advantage for 10 seconds, but KSC killed the remainder off for 1:50 of 4-on-4 to go. Chung made three saves over the next minute as WC was called for a penalty that gave KSC a 4-on-3 advantage for the next 52 seconds. Williams won the ensuing faceoff, but the Ephs were unable to get the puck out of the zone as Maddie DeSouza kept the puck in the Owls' offensive zone. It only took 15 seconds for the Owls to capitalize on the advantage as Grace Bazin sent a pass back to DeSouza for a wrist shot at the blue line as Bentley was screened in the crease and DeSouza's shot found the back of the net to tie the game up with six minutes remaining in the second on her first career collegiate goal. Williams responded right back 1:37 later as Keiver scored her second of the day following a turnover by the Owls in their defensive zone as WC regained the lead. Williams looked to tack on another goal shortly after on another power play advantage but once again Chung made a pair of saves to go with a pair of blocked shots to kill off the penalty for KSC. Chung added one more save heading into the second intermission as the Ephs held their 2-1 lead ahead of the third intermission.
 
KSC started the third period on the power play again with 1:31 remaining on a penalty from the end of the second, but they were unable to get a shot off during it as the Ephs killed off their penalty. 2:15 into the third Williams tacked on goal number three of the day as Noa Diop scored for the Ephs to go ahead by a pair. Chung saved seven shots over the next 6:45, including three on another penalty that the Owls killed off, to go with a pair of shots by Ava Iantosca for KSC. 9:05 into the period, Iantosca had an opportunity to pull within a goal for the Owls but her shot rang off the pipe and nobody was home to bury the rebound into the net as the Ephs remained ahead a pair. Over the next six minutes, Chung made 12 more saves to go with a blocked shot from five different Owls as KSC tried to hold strong on defense to limit the Ephs lead. KSC had a great opportunity to pull within a goal with a power play opportunity with 5:20 remaining, but the Ephs were the ones to capitalize as Savanna Littlewood as she broke through the Owls defense for the goal to put Williams ahead by three with 3:19 remaining. The Owls recorded one shot on goal that Bentley saved during the skater advantage and the Ephs held on to their 4-1 lead for the victory on the day.
 
Inside the Crease

• KSC falls to 0-2 in the all-time series between the two deals, as the Owls avoided the shutout this matchup after falling 9-0 on the road to the Ephs last season.
• Chung rebounded from her last outing with 56 saves in the contest from 10 in the field and 23 in each the second and third periods.
• Williams had the advantage on faceoffs as KSC went 24-for-63 (38.1%).
• Bentley earned her first win in her first collegiate start for the Ephs with 13 saves on the day.
• DeSouza tallied her second point of the season with her first collegiate goal to tie the contest in the second period, while Bazin tacks on her first point of the season in her second game of the year following leading all of NCAA in goals and points on the turf this fall for the Owls' field hockey team.
• KSC blocked 30 shots, to just five by the Ephs with Iantosca leading the way for the Owls with six blocks, while DeSouza, Patrick, and Tilde Byström each tallied four blocks apiece.
• Williams went 0-for-6 on the power play, while KSC went 1-for-4 (25%).

 
Up Next
 
Keene State returns to the ice at home again for their next contest as the Owls get back to Little East Conference action at Keene ICE against the University of Southern Maine on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 PM.
Williams next game is their final game before the holiday break on the road at Plattsburgh State on Saturday, December 6, at 3:00 PM.