Hamilton College’s Nikki Haskins '14 scored a short-handed goal and added one assist as the Continentals edged Wesleyan University 2-1 in a NESCAC game at Hamilton’s Russell Sage Rink on Feb. 2.
Becca Hazlett '13 made three saves in the final 15 seconds to preserve the win for the Continentals. Hamilton has won 11 of the last 13 meetings with the Cardinals and lead the all-time series, 19-9-1. Wesleyan clipped the Continentals 2-1 on Friday night at Hamilton.
Haskins leads the NESCAC with two short-handed goals this season. Abby Runyon '14 scored the other goal and Katie Zimmerman '13 recorded an assist. Hazlett bounced back with 19 saves and dropped her goals against average to 2.13.
Alicia White '15 scored for the Cardinals and Mackenzie McPike '15 and Kelsey Muller '13 picked up the assists. Ashleigh Corvi '13 made 23 stops between the pipes.
Hamilton outshot the Cardinals 8-7 in a scoreless first period. With 15 seconds left in the period, Zimmerman ripped a shot from the right faceoff circle. Corvi made the save and Haskins was there for the rebound, but her shot went wide.
Hamilton (11-7-1 overall, 5-6-1 NESCAC) finally broke through for a 1-0 lead at 10 minutes, 50 seconds of the second period. Haskins received a pass from Zimmerman and her shot was deflected by a defender, but Runyon was waiting by the left post to flick the puck into the open net for her fifth goal.
Wesleyan (6-13-0, 2-10) was whistled for a penalty with 4:49 remaining in the second and was called for another one minute later, which gave the Continentals a 5-on-3 advantage. Another Cardinal penalty with 2:52 left put Hamilton on the power play for nearly four minutes, including two full minutes of a 5-on-3 opportunity. The Continentals racked up seven shots but no goals during the extended chance, and the period ended with Hamilton still ahead, 1-0.
A Hamilton penalty with 14.3 seconds left in the second period put Wesleyan on the power play to begin the third, but the Cardinals came up short. Wesleyan went on another power play at 5:39 of the third, but it was the Continentals that benefitted from it. Haskins intercepted a pass near Wesleyan's blue line and skated in alone on Corvi. Haskins' ninth goal gave Hamilton a 2-0 lead.
The Continentals were whistled for three more penalties over the next nine minutes, and Wesleyan had an extra skater for almost half the period. Hamilton successfully killed each opportunity to keep the shutout intact.
The Cardinals pulled Corvi with 59 seconds left and cut their deficit in half just 6.5 seconds later. Hamilton sent the puck around the boards behind its goal, but Muller intercepted the pass and sent the puck in front to McPike, who had come on as the extra skater. McPike received the pass at the bottom of the left faceoff circle and passed it to White at the right post for her second goal this season.
Corvi returned to the ice after the goal and was pulled again with 29 seconds to go, but the Cardinals ran out of time. Wesleyan held a 10-4 shot advantage in the third period.
Hamilton held a 25-20 shot advantage for the afternoon, and successfully killed all seven Cardinal power-play opportunities. The Continentals went 0-for-4 on the power play.
The Continentals take a break from conference action to face Utica College at home on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Wesleyan heads to Colby College for a NESCAC game on Friday, Feb. 8.
