NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — The Chatham women started strong on Saturday and never looked back dominating the Wilkes University Colonels in a 5-0 win at Pittsburgh Ice Arena, ending a three-game slide.
Chatham scored just 8:36 in as senior forward Kristina Block knifed her way through the Wilkes defense getting a shot on goal that was blocked. However, sophomore Sydney Collins alertly captured the rebound and jammed it past Colonel’s rookie net minder Ally Joly for her 2nd of the year. For the Colonel’s Joly, it was one of 45 shots she would face from the Cougars. Chatham would continue to put pucks on the net and senior Block benefited when she scored with just 3:11 remaining in the period. For Block, who scored 11 goals last season, it was her first of the year. No further scoring occurred, and the Lady Cougars took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
As the second period started, the Cougars continued to apply pressure and increased their lead to three. Senior defender Jillian Rowland took the puck from deep in the Cougar’s own end and skated to the Colonels high slot and ripped one past the blocker of Joly, giving her goals in consecutive games. The Cougars would strike again as Block picked up her second of the game and moved her within seven goals of 2017 graduate Cassidy Colhoun’s all-time Chatham record of 29 goals.
The Cougars registered one more in the third period when Rowland beat Joly on the power play for her second of the game and team leading 3rd of the season.
With the win, Katy Reed picked up both her first career win and first shutout, making 12 saves. The games top performers were Block, and Rowland who each had two goals and an assist. Chatham had two other multiple point scorers as Sydney Collins had a goal and 2 assists and Madison Black had two assists. With the 5-0 win, Chatham improves to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in conference. With the loss, first-year program Wilkes, wh0 only dressed seven players and two goalies, fell to 0-6 overall and 0-4 in conference.
Chatham will continue non-conference play next weekend with a two game set against the Aurora Spartans, who have 2-3-3 overall record. Both games are at the Frozen Pond with puck drop on Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. You can join me, Alex Lyons, for all the action at https://gochathamcougars.com/watch/?Archive=126&type=Live
RICHLAND TWP., Pa. — After a Friday night matchup with the Neumann Knights was postponed due to a power outage at the Frozen Pond, the Cougars played a one game set with the Manhattanville Valiants on Saturday. Like the ladies, the score was 5-0 with the Cougars on the wrong end.
The first period was a fast paced showdown where both teams traded scoring chances. However, Manhattanville was the only team to strike in the period as Matt Lippa put one off the post and in the net behind freshman netminder Brian Baker (of McMurray, Pa). Manhattanville continued to pressure and at the 14:30 mark of the first, Cory Anderson made it 2-0.
As the periods changed, so did the pace of play as the second period became much more physical. Even though the Cougars dominated the physical play, the result in the second was much like the first as Jeff Beck score just under 7 minutes into the period to make it 3-0. Beck’s goal came on an assist from Tristan Ramage of Pittsburgh. An unlucky bounce sent Cory Anderson in on a breakaway, and the forward buried it behind Baker making it 4-0.
The physical play continued in the 3rd, with Manhattanville controlling the pace. Although the Valiants scored only one goal in the 3rd, it might have been more if not for Brian Baker, who made at a number of outstanding saves in the first 10 minutes. Chatham lost senior defenseman John Ryan half-way through the third period, re-aggravating a leg injury from last weekend when he delivered a check in the defensive zone. Axel Walltott scored with 3:15 remaining, resulting in the 5-0 final.
Baker finished with 34 saves on the night, and the Cougars dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-1 in-conference while Manhattanville improves to 3-1-2 overall and in-conference with the win.
The Cougars have a quick turnaround as they battle Morrisville State (1-7 overall and 1-5 in conference) in a game on Tuesday night, Nov. 20. Puck drop in Morrisville, N.Y. is 7 p.m. as the Cougars look to end their two game slide. Last year, the Cougars tied Morrisville State 4-4 in a home game at the Frozen Pond.
