SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 26, 2024) – The WNE women's ice hockey team hosted Amherst College in a nonconference midweek matinee. The Mammoths would take the lead with a late goal in the opening period of play. They would tally another goal in the second and hang on to the lead through the conclusion of the game to take the midweek matchup by a score of 2-0.

Records:

Western New England: 5-4-0 (1-3-0)

Amherst College: 5-0-0 (4-0-0)

How it Happened:

The puck dropped with Kayla Ireland in net for the Golden Bears and Natalie Stott opposing Ireland in the Mammoths' net. The teams traded shots in the beginning of the game. Then, the Mammoths started to take over possession of the puck and generate more shots and overall offense. They had sixteen out of seventeen shots in the middle of the first period of play, including thirteen shots in a row. Then, the Golden Bears would start to find a few shot opportunities, but the Amherst defense and goalie kept them from opening the scoring. After generating two shots in a row, WNE earned a power play. Amherst opened their penalty kill with a shot, but then WNE was able to get five shots toward the net, but only one had to be saved by Stott. The Golden Bears kept building momentum and had a couple more shots before Amherst took over possession and the majority of the shots once again. They would keep the pressure on WNE until, with 53.8 seconds left in the first, they would find the net. Bea Flynn would drop the puck to Marie-Eve Marleau, who skated in front of the net and netted the opening goal. The Mammoths had two more shots before the end of the first and went into the first intermission, leading the Golden Bears 1-0. The stats showed Amherst leading in shots 30-14, shots on goal 14-4, and faceoffs won 9-2. WNE led in saves 13-4 and blocked shots 8-5.

The second period of play saw Amherst extend their lead by one. The second started with seven shots in a row from Amherst College. The Golden Bears would get one, but then Amherst immediately answered with ten more shots in a row to go on a 17-1 run on shots. The tenth shot saw the puck find the back of the goal. Cara Mancini would get the puck after it fell to Natalie Fu on the left side of the ice after a turnover. Mancini skated in and snapped a wrist shot past the WNE goalie to double the Mammoths' lead. They now led 2-0 9:23 into the second period of play. Amherst did not stop there. They had eleven more shots in a row before WNE would answer with a shot saved by Stott. The Golden Bears would have three of the next four shots and control the possession, looking to cut the deficit back down to one. However, Amherst made it tough for them. Amherst answered with five of the next six shots and then earned a power play chance with just under four minutes remaining in the second. They would attempt six shots during the power play but could not net a goal. Amherst ended the middle period of play with four more shots in a row and went into the second intermission with a 2-0 lead. The stats favored Amherst in the second period of play. Amherst led in shots 44-6, shots on goal 23-5, and faceoffs won 13-9. WNE had more blocked shots, 8-0 and saves 22-5.

The third saw the Golden Bears fight to cut the lead in half, but Amherst would stand strong. Amherst had an early shot, but then WNE would go on the power play. WNE had six shots on the power play chance. However, they could not find a goal even though they saw a shot trickle by the outside of the goalpost. After the power play, WNE kept the shots going with three more shots in a row. That was immediately answered by four for Amherst. WNE would not shy away with four more shots in a row. Amherst had five shots in a row after that before they were awarded a power play. WNE limited them to only two shots on the power play. Amherst followed that up with six more shots in a row, and the teams would fight back and forth after that. After a flurry of shots from Amherst, WNE ended the contest with two shots. The Amherst defense and Stott were able to steer them away from the net, and Amherst held on for the 2-0 win. The final stats saw Amherst leading in shots 97-37, shots on goal 52-20, and faceoffs won 35-13. WNE had more saves, 50-20, and blocked shots, 21-9.

Coach's Corner:

Head coach Katie Zimmerman was asked for a comment after the game. "Today was a great competitive game against the #4 team in the country - we executed our game plan well, and had good tempo to our play. It was a fun opportunity to battle against one of the nation's top teams," Zimmerman replied.

Inside the Crease:

• The Golden Bears hosted the Mammoths on Tuesday afternoon.
• 1st 19:06.2 – Marie-Eve Marleau earned the game's first goal off an assist from Bea Flynn. Amherst led 1-0.
• 2nd 9:23 – Cara Mancini doubled the lead for Amherst off an assist from Natalie Fu. Amherst led 2-0.
• Kayla Ireland made 50 saves.
• Natalie Stott made 20 saves to earn the Mammoths the shutout victory.
• Amherst College defeated WNE 2-0.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will be back on the ice on Friday, December 6, 2024, at 8:00 PM when they host a conference clash versus Nichols College.
• The Mammoths will play in the UMB Codfish Bowl Tournament starting on November 30, 2024, at 4:00 PM. They will take on St. Olaf College in Boston, Massachusetts, in the semifinals.