Lancers Fall in Comeback Attempt versus Colonels

Worcester, MA- In a Tuesday night holiday break battle, the Worcester State Women's Ice Hockey team traveled to Curry College to face the Colonels as they look for their first win of 2024. The Lancers are coming off an overtime loss just three days ago to the Western New England Golden Bears and are hoping to continue the success they found earlier in the season when they defeated Curry 4-0 on home ice.

Final

Worcester State: 2

Curry: 4

The first period of action shot Worcester State off to a hot start with three shot attempts  before Curry would find their first attempt. The Lancers would be awarded their lone power play of the period after Curry was called for body checking,  but after peppering Curry's Sarah Kerr  with numerous attempts the score remained 0-0. Both teams would trade shot for shot across the rink until just over halfway through the period Curry found themselves with the skater advantage after a slashing penalty would put the Lancers on the power kill. After a minute of strong defense, the Colonels would open up the scoring with a rebound goal by Ali Olorenshaw. Neither team would find further success in the period bringing a 1-0 game into the first intermission. 

Worcester State was again quick to the attack in the second period with shots from junior Kiersten Erickson (Broomfield, CO), sophomore Caroline Gates (Natick, MA) and senior Layna Pereiro (Chicago, IL) getting the period started off fast. Worcester would grab their second skater advantage of the game just three minutes in off an interference penalty by the colonels. While Worcester State refused to allow the puck out of the offensive zone, the Colonels defense was a wall knocking away each attempt by Worcester. Riding off the momentum of a successful killed power play, the Colonels would grab goal number two of the game off the stick of Danielle Reid. The third power play for the Lancers though would finally find them success. In the 12' minute of action, off another interference penalty, the Lancers regrouped into the advantage determined to come away with a goal. Just 20 seconds later, Worcester would find success after senior Ellen Cook (Becket, MA) collected her rebounded shot attempt and with a dish to sophomore Lea Gaspar (Chelmsford, MA) who would direct it to fellow sophomore Jennarae Bateman (Wyoming, MN) for the finishing touch and goal number one for the Lancers. The Lancers looked to take a skater advantage into the third period when Curry was called for tripping with just under a minute and half, but a cross checking penalty a minute later would see both teams end at even strength and a 2-1 score into the third.

The skater advantage hoped for at the end of the second came to fruition just 17 seconds into the third period with a roughing call on the Colonels but with their own penalty on the scoresheet, the advantage was short lived as Worcester looked to find the tying goal. An equal battle raged for most of the third period with the Lancers grabbing another power play early in the first, but they were again unable to capitalize. It was not until the 13' minute of action that the Lancers found the game tying goal from Amy MacGlashing after passes from Cook, who leads the team in assists with 11, and Sydney Vautour. A Worcester State penalty 20 seconds later would put the Lancers back on the defensive and Curry reclaimed the lead just over 10 seconds into the power play to take back the lead. Worcester refused to back down as they amped up their attacking pressure in a bid to reclaim the tie and push the game into their second overtime period in four days. The task got a level harder with just under three minutes remaining in regulation when Curry tapped in goal number four on an empty net as Worcester looked to gain the extra skater on the ice. A late penalty by Worcester would see them down a skater in the final minute of regulation, which Curry would use to ensure they skated away with the 4-2 victory.

Sophomore Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA) would end the night with 26 saves, while Cook led the team with 2 points in the game. The Lancers would end the night with 34 shots to the Colonels 30, going 1-6 in power play opportunities in the game. 

Worcester State moves to (5-9-1, 4-1-1) and returns to action Friday, the 12th, when they travel to Arcadia for a 7pm faceoff.