KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College women's ice hockey team returned home on Saturday night for Senior Night hoping for a better outcome than last year's season finale when they last played Curry College and were defeated 7-2. After a close contest this time, the Owls stayed close, but the Colonels pulled away in the third on a goal following a bad bounce and KSC was defeated 2-1.

Records

• Keene State: 8-13-0 (5-9-0 LEC)
• Curry 10-9-2 (5-7-2 CNE)

Postgame Interview (Coach Morgan)

How it Happened
Neither team scored over the first 20 minutes of action as both goalies held strong and had help with their defenses blocking shots. Both goaltenders made a pair of saves across the opening six minutes of the contest, but 8:05 into the contest, CC was awarded their first power play of the day after a penalty was called against the Owls. The Colonels only managed a pair of shots over the two-minute advantage, but Abby Tanner saved the one shot on frame and Ellie Patrick helped with a blocked shot and the Owls killed off their first penalty of the day. Following three more saves by Tanner the next four minutes, KSC was called for their second penalty of the contest with 5:12 remaining in the first. Tanner had to make three more saves in net during the penalty kill, but the Owls were able to kill it off again as the first period started to come to a close. In the closing minutes of the opening period, Tanner held strong, making six more saves, while Patrick and Kenzley Goode each blocked a shot, and the game went into the first intermission scoreless.
 
Tanner saved the first four shots that she faced in the second period, while her defense blocked five shots as well, but after the fifth blocked shot, the rebound found its way to Ava Doyle at the blue line who flicked a wrist shot past the unsuspecting Tanner as Curry took a 1-0 lead with 7:40 remaining in the second period. Both goalies made a few saves over the next few minutes before the Owls went on their first power play opportunity of the day with 1:22 remaining in the period. It did not take long for KSC to tie the game back up at one apiece as Loreli Norman sent a pass to Maddie DeSouza at the blue line, who ripped a shot that was saved by Curry's goalie, Sarah Kerr, but the rebound fell to Emerson Spinale, who buried the tying goal for the Owls with 1:05 remaining in the second period. KSC tried to tack on another goal with less than one minute remaining, but Kerr made a pair of saves and the teams headed into the third period tied up at 1-1.
 
KSC started the third period on the power play 28 seconds into the period, but they were unable to even get a shot on goal as the Colonels easily killed it off. Curry responded by being on the attack a lot over the next few minutes as Tanner made seven saves in goal, but she was unable to make the eighth in a row as a bad bounce fell to Kylie Harrison as CC took the lead again, 5:08 into the third period. KSC tried to pull even again shortly after, but Kerr made four more saves and her defense helped with a pair of blocked shots over the next seven minutes before CC was called for another penalty with 6:47 remaining. The Owls did not record a shot over the first 54 seconds of the power play, but CC was called for a second penalty, sending the contest to 5-on-3 over the following 1:06 of action. Brianna Finke had one shot on frame and Patrick had a pair, but Kerr saved all three as the Colonels killed the first of two penalties off. Following another save by Kerr, Finke was called for a penalty with 4:34 remaining as she held a Colonel on a breakaway opportunity, sending the game to 4-on-4 for the next 41 seconds. After Curry killed the rest of their penalty off, they managed one shot, which Tanner saved, while a skater up, but the Owls killed the rest of the penalty off as the game returned to even strength with 2:34 remaining. Tanner was pulled for the Owls for the extra skater with 1:23 remaining, but Kerr saved the final two shots that she faced and KSC was unable to answer back as Curry held on for the 2-1 victory.
 
Inside the Crease

• Keene State falls to 0-2 in the all-time series between the two teams.
• Tanner finished the day with 35 saves, while Kerr made 18 saves, including over half of them coming in the third period, where she made 10 saves.
• Spinale's goal increases her lead on the Owls among freshmen for points and goals with her fifth goal of the season, to go with her three assists for eight points.
• Norman's assist on the day brings her season total to four, as she leads the freshman on assists over the season.
• Patrick led the Owls on blocked shots on the day, finishing with five blocks, just as many as the entire Curry team combined, while the Owls finished with 13 as a team.
• KSC had the edge on faceoffs on the day as the Owls went 32-for-54 (59.3%), with Ava Iantosca leading the way going 15-for-21 (71.4) and Norman going 9-for-14 (64.3%).
• KSC capitalized 17 seconds into their first power play opportunity, then did not convert on their three others the rest of the day, while Curry went 0-for-4 on their extra-skater opportunities.

 
Up Next
 
KSC returns home for their next contest as the Owls get back to conference play against the University of Vermont State Castleton on Friday, February 13, at 4:00 PM.
Curry College returns to action at home against Western New England University on Friday, February 13, at 7:00 PM.