WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 25, 2025) – The Western New England women's ice hockey team tied the game at one early in the third period but saw the Ephs of Williams College answer with the eventual game-winning goal just 1:10 later and added a third tally at the midway point of the third period to get past the Golden Bears by a final score of 3-1 on Tuesday night from the Olympia Ice Center.

Records:

• Western New England: 5-3-0
• Williams College: 1-1-1

How it Happened:

First Period:

• The opening three and a half minutes featured no whistles to the game and five shots, three for the Ephs and two for the Golden Bears. Rachael Irving made the start for WNE, her ninth of the season, making all three saves while Erin Pye was between the pipes for Williams, making both saves on shots from Kaylin O'Connor and Emma Birmingham.
• Williams earned their first power play of the game at the midway mark of the opening period, producing seven total shots, putting four on goal, all turned aside by Irving as the dangerous Williams power play was left without a goal after good penalty killing by the Golden Bears. The Golden Bears responded by picking up five shots over a full-minute span, drawing their first power play in the process.
• On the WNE power play, the blue and gold were not able to come up with any shots on goal while Williams controlled much of the offense to finish off the first period, but could not score as the game remained tied at zero at the end of the first period. Williams put up 19 shots on goal in the opening period while WNE picked up seven.

Second Period:

• Mischa Palmitesso had WNE's first shot on goal in the second period, turned away from Pye. The Ephs then brought their offense forward on the WNE defense, picking up 11 shots in a row before scoring their first goal of the game when Maddie Samaan scored her first goal of the season on an assist from Laney Mead, giving the Ephs a 1-0 lead. 
• Williams continued to carry much of the offense into the midway point of the period until the Golden Bears had a productive power play, which saw the blue and gold put up four shots on goal and eight shots overall. Williams was able to kill the power play chance, which then turned the offense back to the Ephs with five minutes remaining in the period. 
• Williams was awarded a power play with 4:11 remaining in the second period, a power play which produced four more shots on goal, but the Western New England defense stood tall against an impressive puck-moving power play. Zoe Galanoudis picked up back-to-back shots on goal in the final minute and a half of the second period as WNE looked for the tying goal of the game, but couldn't find twine, seeing Williams take a 1-0 lead out of the second period. 
• Williams had 13 shots on goal in the second period while WNE put up double-digits, ten in the frame.

Third Period:

• Western New England drew another power play, this time to begin the third period of play, just four minutes into the period, and took advantage of the chance, grabbing a goal a minute into the period to even the score at one, when Mabel Gerard batted the puck out of the air after a shot on goal from Jenna Lynch, evening the score at one. Michaela Birmingham grabbed the secondary assist for Western New England on the goal. 
• Williams wasted little time to answer with their second of the night, as just 1:10 later Maddie Samaan's pass to the front of the net deflected off a Golden Bear in front of the cage and bounced past Irving to give the Ephs a 2-1 lead. Williams then scored four more minutes later when Becca White tipped home a shot from Isa Healey for her first goal of the season, giving Williams a 3-1 lead. 
• Needing some late-game heroics, the Golden Bears saw Williams take control of the offense for the next seven minutes, while their late push in the final two minutes of the game resulted in no goals, dropping the non-conference game to the Ephs by a final score of 3-1.

Inside the Lines:

• Mabel Gerard scored her third goal of the season in the game, Western New England's lone tally of the night. 
• Rachael Irving came away with 41 saves on 44 shots faced on the night. 
• Michaela Birmingham led WNE with ten shots, putting five on goal, and had a pair of blocked shots. 
• Maddie Samaan picked up a pair of goals for Williams to lead the Ephs to victory. Erin Pye made 34 of 35 saves in the win for Williams.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears get back to Conference of New England action on Friday, December 5 at 4:40 PM, traveling to meet Nichols College at Levy Rink.