Box Score BOSTON, Mass.—Despite 39 saves from senior goalie Caty Flagg (Metheun, Mass.), UMass Boston women's hockey closed out non-conference play with a 4-1 loss to Connecticut College on Tuesday night at the Edward T. Barry Ice Arena.
BY THE NUMBERS
Connecticut College 4, UMass Boston 1
(UMass Boston 11-9-2)
(Connecticut College 13-5-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Connecticut College scored four special teams goals, including three on the power-play, to defeat the Beacons.
Special teams was the difference in Tuesday night's game. The Camels finished 3-7 on the power-play, while the Beacons ended the game 0-2. Both teams added a short-handed goal apiece.
Junior forward Katie Leffler (Key Largo, Fla.) broke up the Camels' shutout bid midway through the third period. She scored her team-leading 10th goal of the season off a feed from junior Kelsey Ryan (Burlington, Mass.).
In net, Flagg made 39 saves on 43 shots to fall to 11-9-2.
Connecticut College sophomore Natalie Witkowski and senior Emmi Estes paced the visitors with a goal and an assist each.
Lauren Helm and Camille Phelan added a power-play goal each and Ellie Branka chipped in two assists.
Connecticut College dominated the shots in the first period (10-2) but only took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
With the Camels on the power-play, Helm took a shot from just below the face-off dot on the far side that caromed off the skate of a Beacons' defenseman and through Flagg's five-hole for a 1-0 lead at 12:48. Ashley Carbone and Witkowski earned assists on the play.
Witkowski doubled the visitors' lead 6:03 into the second. After a Beacons' turnover in their own zone, she collected the puck and sent a shot into the far netting for a short-handed tally.
Connecticut College added a back-breaking goal with 10 seconds to go in the period. Branka's initial shot from the blue line was tipped by both Estes and Phelan on the way through for a power-play tally.
UMass Boston cut into the deficit at 7:50 of the third period. Ryan skated into the zone and found Leffler at the near post for a one-timer, while the Beacons were on the penalty kill.
Two minutes later, UMass Boston was whistled for a five-minute major that stopped their momentum.
With just over a minute to on the original penalty and the Beacons facing a 5-on-3, Estes skated into the zone with speed, cut into the slot and sent a backhand shot past Flagg at 13:41.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Connecticut College outshot the Beacons 43-13 and held a 38-19 edge in face-offs.
- Tuesday night's contest marked the Beacons final non-conference game of the season. UMass Boston finished 4-4-1 in non-conference play, with a 1-4 mark against teams out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
- Leffler is only the sixth junior in program history to score double-digit goals (10). She is the first junior to reach the mark since 2009-10, when Lauren Duran scored 11 goals.
- With the loss, UMass Boston falls to 6-9-1 all-time against the Camels.
- Flagg now sits second in program history for a single-season with her 661 saves this year. She passed Leah Hallett's ('12) senior season for second-place. Hallett set the program record for saves as a sophomore with 829.
- Ryan extended her point streak to four games. She has recorded a goal and three assists over the Beacons' past four contests.
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will close out their home schedule on Saturday, when they host Plymouth State University for Senior Day. The Beacons will honor their six seniors prior to the 4 p.m. contest.
