BEVERLY, Mass. – Jade Meier's (Fairbanks, Alaska) seventh goal of the season at the 12:41 mark of the third period proved to be the game-winner as the No. 10 Endicott women's ice hockey team defeated Trinity, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon at Raymond J. Bourque Arena.
Meier delivered the game-winner late in the third when she punched home a rebound off a Courtney Walpole (Allen, Texas) shot from the slot that trickled free near the left post. Jillian Gibbs (Burlington, Vt.) also received an assist on the tally as the sophomore forward slid a pass to Walpole into the slot from behind the left side of the net.
After taking the lead, Endicott then killed off one power play by Trinity (nine shots total). Vendela Jonsson (Linkoping, Sweden) was also forced to make eight saves down the stretch, while the defense blocked five more to preserve the win.
Jonsson finished with 15 saves - including nine alone in the third period - to improve to (11-2-1) on the year. Her counterpart, Sydney Belinskas (Port Orange, Fla.) turned away 37 shots in the loss (2-8-0).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With today's win, Endicott evened up the all-time series at 2-2-0.
- The Gulls have won the last two games in the series (1/20/17; W, 2-1 OT | 1/20/18; W, 3-2).
- Ashlie Jones (Billerica, Mass.), Gibbs and Caroline Hughes (Andover, Mass.) all scored in the win for Endicott. Jones buried her fifth of the season in the second, while Gibbs and Hughes (empty-netter) both found the back of the net in the third.
- Walpole had two assists in the game, which came on the game-tying and game-winning markers and won a game-high 10 faceoffs.
- Gulls' head coach Andrew McPhee earned his 50th career win at Endicott.
FOR THE FOES
- Tasha Adams (Reston, Va.) put the Bantams on the scoreboard first when she redirected a shot in the slot past Jonsson on the power play at 8:36 of the first period.
- Lauren MacMaster (St. Albert, Albert) initiated the tally when she swung a pass from the right faceoff circle to Julia Lee (Ferguson's Cove, Nova Scotia) who followed with a shot from the right point.
- Taylor Peracchio (Wayne, N.J.) made it a 2-2 contest in the third with a five-hole goal from the left wing at 1:42.
- Kelcie Finn (Weymouth, Mass.) and Karinna Cave-Hawkins (Edgewater, Md.) tied for the team-high in faceoff wins with nine each. Trinity also won the faceoff matchup 32-30.
WHAT'S NEXT
No. 10 Endicott (14-2-1) hosts Becker College on Friday, January 26 at 7 PM. Trinity (4-11-0) welcomes Elmira to the Koeppel Community Sports Center on Tuesday, January 23 at 7:30 PM.