MIDDLETOWN, CT. – While the Wesleyan women's hockey team will face Trinity College one last time in the regular season finale, the in-state NESCAC rivals went head-to-head on Friday night in a 2-2 tie that saw Trinity best Wesleyan in the shootout, 1-0, in Wesleyan's final home game of the season at Spurrier-Snyder Arena.
Reaching a shootout for the first time this season, the Cardinals (8-14-1 overall, 3-11-1 NESCAC) played host to the Bantams (9-12-1 overall, 6-8-1 NESCAC) in a fiery matchup that saw four scoring tallies in the first period. The Cardinals jumped at the opportunity to get ahead of the Bantams and put up their first goal with just under two minutes of play underway, all thanks to
Ainsley Lonczak '28.
Taking the initial shot,
Carly Ward's '27 puck deflected off the toe of Bantams goaltender Madeline Carter and wedged itself between the wall and
Caroline Mezias '25. Mezias and
Isabelle Allieri '25 managed to free the puck and with the Bantams pre-occupied on the wall, Lonczak was left unattended and wide open in front of Carter and snapped the puck over her right shoulder.
With the Cardinals called for a roughing minor, the Bantams were given the go ahead for the first power play of the evening and capitalized on the man advantage with a goal from Kate French as the period rolled towards the midway marker. The Cardinals would once again take a one-goal lead just two minutes later as
Amelia Molin '27 struck as Carter was caught off guard. Connecting with Ward's dumped puck behind the Bantams goal,
Dylan Green '26 was enough of a distraction for the Bantams goaltender that Molin was left with nothing but space to fire Green's back-handed pass at the right post. Before the opening period could end the Bantams tied the game up once more at two with another power play goal, Annika Dyczkowski earning the point.
For the remaining 40 minutes of regulation action, Carter and Cardinals goaltender
Jenna Guglielmi '27 would hold each team without a goal, forcing five minutes of overtime hockey. The Cardinals outshot the Bantams in overtime, 4-1 and earned an extra skater on a hooking call but it was not enough to end the game. Without a goal, the Cardinals entered their first shootout of the season. Jenny Guider scored in a best of three shootout to give the Bantams their road win.
Following the Cardinals' goal scorers, Allieri led the offense with an assist and six shots on goal while
Caroline Kee '26 won 11 faceoffs off the draw.
In goal, Guglielmi finished the night with 33 saves. Carter earned the win with 23 saves for the Bantams.
The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Hartford to face the Bantams on the road at 4 p.m.
