NORTHFIELD, VT. - The New England College women's ice hockey team fell on the road to the Norwich Cadets 6-1 on Saturday afternoon.
The Cadets struck first when Penny Saich slipped the puck past sophomore goaltender Anna McGinty (Duxbury, Mass.), giving the home team an early 1-0 advantage. The Pilgrims then earned a power play following a Norwich penalty, and freshman Audrey Routledge (Okotoks, Alta.) fired a shot that was turned away by Cadet's goaltender Madison Brunet. Norwich doubled its lead in the seventh minute, making it 2-0, and continued to apply pressure with a series of shots that McGinty shut down. In the 14th minute, Livia Brooks added a third goal for the Cadets, extending their lead. The Pilgrims responded just a minute later, as freshman Pnina Basov (Ma'alot, Israel) scored her first collegiate goal to cut into the lead. As the period closed, Norwich carried a 3-1 lead.
The teams continued to battle through the second period, with the Cadets generating a series of shots the McGinty turned away. NEC countered with opportunities of their own, as sophomores Jamie Blondin (Oakville, Ont.) and Dorte Solheim (Bergen, Norway) sent attempts just wide of the net. Norwich maintained heavy offensive pressure, but the Pilgrims held strong with freshman Molly Jones (Golden, Colo.), junior Alexis Hornsby (Atkinson, N.H.), and Blondin each coming up with key blocks. Neither team was able to break through as the second period ended scoreless, and the Cadets maintained their 3-1 lead.
Norwich opened the final period with sustained offensive pressure, but freshman Carol Lenig (El Paso, Tex.) and junior Samantha Babbitt (Weathersfield, Vt.) stepped up with key blocks to turn aside early chances. The Cadets eventually broke through on a power play opportunity, pushing their lead to 4-1. Just minutes later, Norwich added another goal, slipping the puck past McGinty to make it 5-1. The Cadets remained relentless, generating additional shots that the NEC defense continued to block, but in the 15th minute Geena Cookinham found the back of the net, as Norwich secured the 6-1 victory.
Junior Mae Lafferty (South Boston, Mass.) anchored the Pilgrims' defensive effort with a team-high three blocks, while senior Gina Sciortino (Billerica, Mass.), freshman Claire Gerarden (Green Bay, Wisc.), Babbitt, and Jones chipped in two blocks each. McGinty finished the afternoon with 54 saves while facing 60 shots.
The Pilgrims return to Little East Conference action on Friday when they host the Plymouth State University Panthers with a 4:00 PM puck drop.
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