The William Smith ice hockey team dropped a 3-2 nonconference decision to fifth-ranked Nazareth on Friday afternoon at The Cooler. The Golden Flyers scored three times in the opening period and held off a late rally by the Herons to remain unbeaten.
Nazareth capitalized early, scoring on three of its first five shots to build a 3-0 advantage before the first intermission. Lindsay Moses opened the scoring at 2:15, followed by goals from Logan Marchese and Ella Mannila within the next four minutes. The Golden Flyers finished with a 32-16 edge in shots on goal.
William Smith responded in the second period when first-year Finley Crosby put the Herons on the board at 7:08, snapping a shot from the right circle for her third goal of the season. Junior Laine Heiser assisted on the play and later added a goal of her own early in the third period, cutting the deficit to one at 1:54. Heiser finished with a goal and an assist to lead the Herons offensively.
Despite sustained pressure late, including a shot off the crossbar and a successful penalty kill in the final minutes, William Smith was unable to find the equalizer. Junior goaltender Mia Iwicki made 29 saves in the loss, while Nazareth’s Mia Gonsalves stopped 14 shots. Both teams went scoreless on the power play.
William Smith fell to 7-5-0 on the season, while Nazareth improved to 14-0-0.
The Herons return to action on Tuesday, January 13, when they host Hamilton at The Cooler. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].