Women’s Hockey Fall in OT at NEC

MCLA dropped a non-conference tilt at NEC this evening.

Kaitlyn O’Brien notched 54 saves in the season opening game at NEC.
Kaitlyn O’Brien notched 54 saves in the season opening game at NEC.
October 31, 2025
Video Box Score

HENNIKER, N.H. – The MCLA Women's Ice Hockey team kicked off their 2025-26 season this evening with a road non-conference battle with the New England College Pilgrims at the Lee Clement Arena. The team swapped first period goals before settling in for a defensive struggle that would need bonus hockey to determine a winner. NEC's Jamie Blondin scored 80 seconds into the overtime period to secure a season opening win.

THE BASICS:

  • Date: Friday, October 31, 2025
  • Score: MCLA 1, NEC 2
  • Records: MCLA Trailblazers 0-1-0 (MASCAC 0-0-0) | New England College Pilgrims 1-0-0 (LEC 0-0-0)
  • Series History: NEC now leads the all-time series 3-2. MCLA took both meetings of the teams last season as part of a home-and-home series. MCLA won the first game 4-1 in North Adams on November 1st and 3-2 in Henniker on November 2nd. NEC took both meetings of the teams in 2023 as part of another home-and-home series. NEC won the first game 7-3 in Henniker on December 1st and 5-1 in North Adams on December 2nd.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

  • The Pilgrims were the first ones on the board when Meadow Gilchrist (8:09, assisted by Kate Devlin) notched her team's first goal of the season.
  • MCLA needed a little over three minutes to respond when first-year forward Brooklyn Ekblad (Williston, ND / Williston High School) (11:17, Danchak) knocked home a pass from junior forward Maggie Danchak (Chalfont, PA / Philadelphia Little Flyers). The goal and the assists were the first of the season for both players.
  • Following a scoreless second and third period that saw NEC outshoot the Trailblazers 39-11, the Pilgrims closed out the game 80 seconds into the overtime frame when Jamie Blondin (1:20, Samantha Babbitt) found the back of the net.
  • NEC's Anna McGinty stopped 22 of 23 shots and picked up the win to move to 1-0-0. The Trailblazers' junior goalie Kaitlyn O'Brien (Ridley Park, PA / Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) recorded 54 saves on 56 shots but still fell to 0-1-0.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • Shots: MCLA 23, NEC 56
  • Saves: MCLA 54, NEC 22
  • Faceoffs Won: MCLA 25, NEC 33
  • Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 1/2:00, NEC 2/4:00
  • Power Plays: MCLA 0 for 2, NEC 0 for 1

UP NEXT:

On Friday, MCLA will be back in action when it travels to SUNY Canton at the Roo House Ice Arena for a non-conference matchup with the Roos. The puck will drop at 7 p.m.

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