AMHERST, MA. – Taking home their first win over a Top 5 ranked opponent in program history, the Wesleyan women's ice hockey team defeated the 2023 national runner-up, No. 3 Amherst College, in a 2-1 NESCAC victory on Sunday afternoon in the second of a two-game weekend series at Amherst's Orr Rink. Handing Amherst just their second loss of the season, the win is Wesleyan's first over Amherst since 2018 and their first at Orr Rink since 2000.
The last defeat of the Mammoths at the hands of the Cardinals came Feb. 16, 2018, when the Cardinals pulled off an early two-goal lead over the No. 8 Mammoths, ending in a 2-1 win at Spurrier-Snyder Arena. However, the Cardinals have not won on the road in Amherst since Jan. 26, 2000, when the Cardinals returned to Middletown with a 3-2 overtime win.
The Mammoth's (12-2-2 overall, 6-2-2 NESCAC) first loss of the season came at the hands of Trinity College just two weeks ago on Jan. 6. But the Cardinals (8-6-2 overall, 3-4-1 NESCAC) refused to be shutout of the weekend series after falling to the Mammoths 3-1 the night before, Jan. 20.
Just before the halfway point of the first period,
Shannon Burke '25 put away the first goal of the afternoon for the Cardinals to open the scoring. In a battle for the puck in the far corner,
Caroline Mezias '25 was able to free the puck enough for Burke to deflect it out to
Effie Tournas '25 in front of the goal. Tournas made an initial shot attempt on Mammoth's goaltender Natalie Stott, but Stott made the save, leaving Burke unattended to pick up the rebound and take her shot for the tally.
The Cardinals held the one goal lead through the second period and into the final period of play, looking to help
Rei Halloran '23 claim her first shutout of the season, but Anna Baxter tied the game up at one at 14:55. As the puck made its way around the back of the goal, Alyssa Xu made the pass to Baxter from the left circle, allowing Baxter to tap the puck in at the right post.
Isabelle Allieri '25 notched her first game-winning goal of the season with 3:37 remaining in regulation on a rebounded shot, sending the puck over the left shoulder of Stott. Snatching the puck at center ice, Allieri made a cross-ice pass to
Brigitte Goeler-Slough '23 at the blueline with Goeler-Slough taking the first shot that rebounded for Allieri's goal.
From the faceoff,
Amelia Molin '27 led all specialists with seven draw wins.
In goal, Halloran finished the afternoon with 30 saves. Stott made saves in net for the Mammoths.
The Cardinals return to action on Friday, Jan. 26, when they host Hamilton College in NESCAC action beginning at 7 p.m.
