Yael Fatiev stopped all 40 shots she faced as Utica beat William Smith 2-0 Saturday at The Cooler, leaving the women's hockey teams with a split of their season-opening series.
Kendall Best and Samantha Dobrzynski scored for the Pioneers. Both teams are 1-1 after William Smith won Friday's opener, according to HWS Athletics.
Utica breaks through in the second
Neither team scored in the first period, when Utica outshot the Herons 13-8. William Smith goalie Julia Echavarria made seven saves during two Pioneers power plays, and a shot by Maya Jerome hit a post.
William Smith held a 13-7 shot advantage in the second period, but Best put Utica ahead at 8:38. She took a breakout pass after a successful penalty kill and beat Echavarria for her first goal of the season. Veronica Houk assisted, according to the official box score.
Fatiev stopped all 13 Herons shots in the period to preserve the 1-0 lead.
Herons cannot convert third-period pressure
William Smith outshot Utica 19-4 in the final period, and Laine Heiser twice hit a post after beating Fatiev.
Dobrzynski added an unassisted power-play goal at 6:30 of the third. She forced a turnover at the offensive blue line and, while falling, sent a shot that slipped between Echavarria's legs and crossed the line.
Echavarria made 22 saves in 57:06. The Herons finished with a 40-24 advantage in shots on goal but were 0-for-5 on the power play. Utica converted one of its three opportunities.
Heiser led William Smith with seven shots on goal. Finley Crosby and Talia Mertens had four each, and Sara Comiskey added three.
The Herons continue their five-game homestand with a two-game series against Chatham at The Cooler. The opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
