William Smith hockey earned its second straight victory Friday afternoon, defeating Buffalo State 4-2 in a SUNYAC contest at the Buffalo State Ice Arena. The win lifted the Herons to 9-9-0 overall and 5-2-0 in conference play.
After a scoreless first period, Buffalo State opened the scoring early in the second, striking at the 5:53 mark to take a 1-0 lead. William Smith responded three minutes later when Anna Tardiff finished a rebound in front of the net to tie the game. The Herons carried that momentum through the remainder of the period, as Tara Valas scored with 2:52 left in the second to give William Smith a 2-1 lead heading into intermission.
William Smith added to its advantage early in the third period. Bella Hacker capitalized on a loose puck in the low slot to extend the lead to two, scoring her team-leading seventh goal of the season. Madeline Diglio provided an insurance goal late in the frame, finishing a play set up by Hacker to make it 4-1.
Buffalo State pulled one goal back late in the third, but William Smith closed out the game with steady defensive play. Junior goaltender Mia Iwicki went the distance, stopping 22 shots to secure the win. Hacker led the Herons offensively with a goal and an assist, while Tardiff, Valas and Diglio also found the back of the net. Buffalo State goaltender Alexa Todd made 33 saves in the loss.
Buffalo State fell to 10-7-1 overall and 2-5-0 in SUNYAC play.
With Saturday’s series finale postponed due to winter weather, William Smith returns to action Thursday, February 6, hosting Potsdam at The Cooler. Faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
