Williams College’s Ellia Chiang scored with 1:34 left in the sudden-victory overtime period and lifted the Ephs to a 2-1 NESCAC win against the Hamilton College Continentals at Hamilton’s Russell Sage Rink on Saturday afternoon.
The nationally ranked No. 10 Continentals (4-2-0, 2-2 NESCAC) and Williams were playing at Hamilton for the second time this weekend. The Ephs (3-2-0, 2-2) were 4-1 winners on Friday night.
The Continentals held a commanding 30-10 shot advantage and won 33 of 49 faceoffs. Sidney Molnar ’22 stopped eight shots and Allie Curry ’23 won 15 faceoffs and lost just three.
Delaney Szlezyngier blocked four shots and Maddie Zack stopped three more as Williams was credited with 13 blocks as a team. Chloe Heiting made 14 of her 29 saves in the third period.
Hamilton controlled the first three minutes of overtime as the Continentals won all three faceoffs, put three shots on goal and had another blocked. Then with 2:11 remaining, Maddie Hong ’23 had a shot clang off the top of the crossbar. Hong had another shot sail wide a few seconds later.
Meghan Halloran got to a loose puck along the right-side boards in her defensive zone and passed ahead to Chiang as the teams skated three players to a side. Chiang found herself skating in alone on Molnar and converted the breakaway opportunity.
Hamilton’s lone goal came at 6:54 in the third period. Sami Quackenbush ’24 caught the puck behind Hamilton’s net and passed it out to Mya Berretta ’22. Beretta lifted the puck into the air out of the defensive zone and away from Williams pressure. Nancy Loh ’23 rushed forward and caught it on her stick as it landed near the Williams blue line. Loh was able to carry the puck down the center while holding off defensive pressure from Williams to the front of the net. Once Loh reached the crease, she fired a backhand shot to the top of the net for her third goal this season and her 50th career point.
Williams opened the scoring at 4:46 in the first period. Halloran caught Molnar trying to play the puck behind the net, knocked it away from her and wrapped it around the left side.
Just three penalties were called but all of them came in the final 11 minutes of the third period. Both teams had a power play for 51 seconds late in the third.
The Continentals play their next game on Friday, Dec. 10 at Nazareth College at 6 p.m. The non-conference contest will be Hamilton’s first away from Sage Rink this season.
