55 Saves By O'Brien in Women's Hockey Loss to Nichols

Harrisville, R.I. – The MCLA Women's Hockey team took to the road afternoon, heading east for a non-conference matchup with the Nichols College Bison at the June Rockwell Levy Rink. Belle Wurmser gave the Trailblazers an early lead, and Kaitlyn O'Brien recorded 55 saves in an effort to make the lead stand but couldn't overcome the 60-10 advantage that Nichols enjoyed in shots.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
• Score: MCLA 2, Nichols 5
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 5-4-0 (MASCAC 1-2-0) | Nichols College Bison 4-4-0 (CNE 1-3-0)
• Series History: Nichols College leads the all-time series 2-0, winning the teams' first meeting last season, 2-1 at the Levy Rink.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sophomore defenseman Carlen Bertrand (Timmins, ON / Sudbury Wolves) started the scoring just over two minutes into the game when she brought the puck into the Nichols' defensive end, skated around the back of the net, and passed the puck out to first-year defenseman Breanna Patterson (Argyle, TX / Dallas Stars Elite) near the blue line. Patterson fired a shot towards the net that bounced off a Bison defender and at the feet of sophomore forward Belle Wurmser (Brick, NJ / Princeton Tiger Lillies) to knock past the goalie's stick side. The goal was Wurmser's second of the season and second in as many games, while the assists were the fifth and fourth for Bertrand and Patterson, respectively.
• The lead would only last a bit over ten minutes as the hosts scored the first of three goals to build out a 3-1 lead through two periods. Anneliese Klein (power-play goal, 1^st period at 12:17, assisted by Sienna Reeves and Kerstin Ambruso) scored the first Nichols goal, while Ema Jaskova added two second-period goals (3:46, Angalisa Caceda & Rhea Bullens and 17:25, Melissa Montesi & Kasey Litwin).
• With the fans barely back in their seats for the third period, sophomore forward Nicolette Bardsley (Gilbertsville, PA / Chatham University) got the Trailblazers back within one score when the puck jumped over the stick of a Nichols defender and out of the MCLA defensive end. Bardsley then jumped on the puck for a one-on-one matchup with the goalie. Bardsley flipped a shot over the netminder's right shoulder into the upper left corner of the net. The goal was the second of the year for the sophomore transfer.
• The Bisons would respond with two more goals by Ambruso (6:04, Grace Melanson & Alexis Pacheco) and Sophie Costello-Krakowski (7:18, Taylor Breen & Avery Moriarty).
• MCLA's sophomore goalie Kaitlyn O'Brien (Ridley Park, PA / Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) made 55 saves but was saddled with a tough-luck loss to fall to 2-3-0 while the Bisons' AnaMary Pulgar stopped eight of the ten shots she faced to pick up the win and move to 1-2-0.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: MCLA 10, Nichols 60
• Saves: MCLA 55, Nichols 8
• Faceoffs Won: MCLA 28, Nichols 46
• Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 5/10:00, Nichols 1/2:00
• Power Plays: MCLA 0 for 1, Nichols 1 for 5

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when they play host to Hood College for a non-conference matchup with the Blazers at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink. The puck will drop at 5 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

For the latest on MCLA Athletics, follow the Trailblazers via our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter).