Lancers Battle to Final Buzzer at Bagley Invitational Championship

Worcester, MA- On a hunt for their first championship of the season the Worcester State Women's Ice Hockey team (6-5, 4-1) take on the hosts, Castleton State, in the winner take all final game of the Bagley Invitational. After the Lancers win yesterday over Potsdam, head coach Eliza Kelley has recorded 100 career coaching win, and begins the hunt for 100th career NCAA head coaching win, where she currently sits at 97.

Final

Worcester State: 1

Castleton: 2

How it Happened:

The championship battle was evenly matched from the start as both teams were focused on possession. The Spartans would take the slight shot edge to start the period but the Lancers would end the period with nine on cage in what amounted to a scoreless defensive first period.

The second would follow the same path as the first, with Castleton just edging out the Lancers in attempts, until the final two minutes found the Spartans slipping a shot from the angle past senior Kelsey Czerniawski (Chicopee, MA) for a lead. Worcester would attempt to find the equalizer but that aggression left a gap open that found the period ending 2-0 in Castleton's favor.

Worcester would cut the lead in half just over seven minutes into the final period of regulation as junior Abbey Millman (Georgetown, MA) worked her way into possession of the puck from junior Madelyn Franta (Superior, WA) and senior Lea Gaspar (Chelmsford, MA), and found the opening on the attack. The Spartans would not back down easy and remained determined to hold their lead, and pushed to extend it with added pressure on the Worcester defense. The Lancers would bend but not break, repelling the Spartans and focusing their attack on finding the tying goal to force overtime action. With just over two and half to go the Lancers would pull  Czerniawski for the extra skater and pressure. The Spartans would quickly charge down the ice but the Lancers defense blocked shots left and right to keep the flame alive and return the puck down the ice. A late penalty on Castleton would give the Lancers a two skater edge, but they were quickly awarded their own which found the goalie back in net and Worcester still on the high pressure. Worcester would pull every trick in the book in the final seconds but the Spartans managed to hold the edge for the win.

Czerniawski would wrap up the day with 26 saves in the appearance.

What's Next:

The Blue and Gold (6-6, 4-1) are back in action Thursday at 7pm when they journey to take on the University of New England.