HAMILTON – The No. 6 Colgate women's hockey team advanced to the ECAC Championship after a 2-1 victory over No. 10/RV Quinnipiac. With the win, the Raiders are 14-6-1 and will host the final matchup Sunday at 2 p.m against St. Lawrence.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first period saw a ton of action across the ice as both teams had good scoring opportunities, but the Raiders pressured the offensive zone immensely throughout the frame. With Colgate dominating possession of the puck, sophomore
Kaitlyn O'Donohoe received a stellar pass from first-year
Kalty Kaltounkova low in the slot to take the 1-0 lead with 4:11 remaining in the period.
As the period came to an end, the Raiders were outshooting the Bobcats 11-3.
The Raiders picked up right where they left off offensively in the second period and continued to get good shots on goal. Late in the second period, Colgate faced its first penalty kill of the night, but several blocked shots and several clears up the ice kept Quinnipiac off the board.
At the 17:45 mark of the second period, junior
Noemi Neubauerova caused a turnover in the defensive zone and passed up the ice to sophomore
Sammy Smigliani on the breakaway who scored and gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
Colgate's defense was on full display in the third period as the Raiders kept causing mayhem on nearly all of Quinnipiac's possessions. It was not until the Bobcats pulled their goaltender and opted for an extra skater that they got on the board with 45 seconds left, making it a 2-1 game.
As time dwindled down in the final period, Colgate's defense helped keep the puck out of the net to secure the 2-1 win and a spot in the ECAC Hockey Championship.
COLGATE SCORING PLAYS
• Period 1 | 15:49 Sophomore
Allyson Simpson gave the puck to first-year
Kalty Kaltounkova at the edge of the crease, who then passed across the slot to sophomore
Kaitlyn O'Donohoe who was waiting right in front of the net and chipped it in.
• Period 2 | 17:45 Junior
Noemi Neubauerova caused a turnover and passed to sophomore
Sammy Smigliani on the breakaway and scored.
STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
• With her assist on tonight's first-period goal, first-year
Kalty Kaltounkova is now tied for second on the team in assists with 11.
• Sophomore
Sammy Smigliani's game-winning goal in the second period marks her second game-winner of the season.
• First-year
Kayle Osborne recorded 16 saves, including eight saves in the second period.
• Junior
Delani MacKay won a team-high 81.8 percent of faceoffs, helping the team win 62.5 percent of its overall faceoffs.
• Colgate held Quinnipiac scoreless on the power play, forcing the Bobcats to go 0-for-2 throughout the game.
• This is the second time in four years the Raiders have advanced to the ECAC Hockey Championship.
THE BOTTOM LINE
• No. 6 Colgate 2, Quinnipiac 1
RECORD UPDATES
• Colgate holds a 14-6-1 record and is 8-4-0 in ECAC Hockey play.
• Quinnipiac is 10-6-0 overall with a conference record of 4-5.
HEAD COACH GREG FARGO'S TAKE
"We played a strong game from start to finish. We were committed to playing a good team game tonight and ended up with the result we wanted.
"Quinnipiac once again showed why ECAC Hockey is so competitive. They played a great game again tonight. We're looking forward to the opportunity to play our best game on Sunday in the Championship."
UP NEXT
The Raiders will host the ECAC Hockey Championship against St. Lawrence on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Class of 1965 Arena.
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
For more information on the Colgate women's hockey program, follow the Raiders on Twitter @ColgateWIH and Instagram at colgatewih.
