The William Smith College ice hockey team scored three goals in the third period as it cruised to a 4-0 victory over Johnson & Wales in a New England Hockey Conference contest at The Cooler Friday. With their second straight victory, the Herons are now 6-12-1 overall this season with a 4-7-1 mark in conference play.
Julianna Gong led all skaters with three points on a goal and two assists. Laura Hill and Mia LaPlante each finished the game with a goal and an assist. Annie Hauser started in goal and made 32 saves as she picked up her first career shutout.
Anna Maulson played all 60 minutes in goal for the Wildcats (8-11-1, 5-6-0). She made 31 saves.
Neither team found the back of the net in the first period. The Herons controlled the play, emerging from the period with a 10-6 edge in shots on goal. Mackenzie O’Neil had the best chance of the first period for the Herons. At the 7:17 mark of the period, she had a shot from the right faceoff circle smothered by Maulson. Johnson & Wales’ best chance of the opening frame came on the power play. Soph Hamel had a shot blocked by Marykate Martino. Skylar Robert picked up the rebound, but her shot was stopped by Hauser’s glove hand.
Hauser stole the show in the second period, making 20 of her 32 saves in the stanza. She was at her best on the power play, stopping seven shots between Johnson & Wales’ two opportunities with the extra skater. Despite being outshot 20-9 in the frame, it was William Smith that emerged with a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes. LaPlante opened the scoring when she redirected a shot from the point past Maulson for her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Gong and Emily Martino, who was playing in her 100th career game this evening, picked up assists on the goal. Martino is just the ninth Heron to play in 100 games.
William Smith put the game out of reach 47 seconds into the third period. Laura Hill slipped a backhanded shot past Maulson for her first goal of the season. LaPlante and Gong registered assists on the goal. Seven minutes later, Kayla Ketchabaw ripped a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle into the back of the net. It was her second goal in as many games. Marykate Martino and Annabel Ziskin were awarded assists on the goal. Gong added a goal at the 14:05 mark of the period. She picked up a loose puck in the slot and flipped a shot over the goal line. Hill recorded an assist on the goal.
The Herons finished the game with a 35-32 edge in shots on goal. William Smith was 2-for-5 on the power play and the Wildcats were 0-for-5 with the extra attacker.
The Herons will be back in action Saturday, when they welcome UMass Boston to The Cooler. Faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
