By David F. Pendrys

NEW HAVEN, CT – Yale faced another ECAC heavyweight in the St. Lawrence Saints Saturday afternoon, and despite playing a better game than Friday’s encounter with Clarkson, they still came away with a loss.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring at 3:16 in the first when Eden Murray got the remnants of a Mallory Souliotis shot and flicked it it past a surprised SLU netminder, Grace Harrison. In addition to Souliotis, Julia Yetman picked up an assists for feeding it to Souliotis.

SLU despite having a multi-faceted and swift attack, was held off for a while by Tera Hofmann and the Yale defense. Kayla Vespa finally broke SLU’s scoring open on the Power Play. Hannah Miller had shot the puck on net, and Vespa was lurking right outside to get the rebound which she deposited in. Skyla Podvery had an assist for getting it to Miller.

Greta Skarzynski got Yale the lead again with her first collegiate goal at 13:03 of the third. She was fed by Yetman, and backhanded it from the doorstep past Harrison. Saroya Tinker got an assist as well.

Yale’s hopes of entering period 3 with a lead were dashed when Justine Reyes (8051) picked up her fifth of the season. Rachael Smith had stolen the puck deep in the Yale zone and stickhandled in on Hofmann, in the ensuing scrum, the puck came to Reyes on the other side and she sent it into the wide open net.

Kayla Nielsen broke the tie early in the third as the puck came right to her in front of the net and she smacked it past the keeper. Nadine Edney had the assist, though it looked like Natalie Wozney got a stick on a Yale pass before the puck deflected to Nielsen.

Yale’s efforts to score again would be for naught, though they had thought they had evened the odds with their net empty late in the third. A goal was ruled after a chaotic scene in front of the SLU net, but on video review it was determined a hand knocked the puck in, not a stick deflating the mood in Ingalls Rink.

The Bulldogs clearly played a better game despite the result. Offensively their forecheck was generating opportunities and helping to keep SLU from doing what Clarkson had done the day before. The Saints, despite having such lethal scoring options, only put up 23 shots, and Yale nearly matched that total with 20. Harrison naturally made 18 saves, and Hofmann made 20. Both goaltenders were challenged by dangerous plays. Harrison stopped a Yale break, and Hofmann had to deal with several well set up scoring tries from the Saints.

SLU’s first line of Miller, Kennedy Marchment, and Vespa was threatening throughout the game, but Yale did do a lot to try to contain them. While Yale took four penalties, one of which resulted in the goal, the first two were both attempts to stop high quality SLU chances, and the penalty kill held both times. Vespa’s goal came after Yale had picked up a second penalty after just killing off a two minute skate disadvantage seconds before. SLU had a lot of players who could make plays making containing the first line only part of the battle. Yale did struggle with icing a lot during the game, causing faceoffs in their own end more than would have been ideal.

Yale’s first line of Murray, Vlasic, and Skarzynski was very dangerous as well for the Bulldogs during the game, as they produced both Yale goals, and also numerous other chances.

Smith, and Reyes led St. Lawrence with 4 shots each, as Kalie Grant, and Miller had 3, Vespa, Podvery, Natalie Wozney, and Nielsen all had 2, and Marchment was held to just one, though she was making plays throughout.

For Yale, Yetman, Murray, and Emily Monaghan had 3 shots each. Skarzynski, Souliotis, Emma Vlasic, and Tinker had 2 each.

Lydia Grauer had 3 blocked shots for SLU, and they were some critical ones. Marchment, Nielsen, and Dakota Goldie blocked 2, and Edney, Miller, Reyes, Smith, Podvery, Maggie McLaughlin, and Amanda McClure all blocked one.

For Yale, Souliotis blocked 4 shots, Yetman blocked 2, and Kara Drexler, Tess Dettling, Vlasic, Grace Wickens, and Tinker blocked one each.

Yale is now 1-4-1 and 0-3-1 in the ECAC. St. Lawrence is 5-3-2 and 3-1-0 in ECAC play.

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Noticed Plays.

(This is a not exhaustive very imperfect list of noticed plays that might not make the score sheet. It is very possible a player has far more of any sort of play than are noticed in the heat of action. It is what it is. Read these more as a player had “at least” what is noted here. Note the language is a bit stilted, I’m trying to figure out how to make the information flow better.)

Yale

Tess Dettling

Got the puck out of the Yale zone during an SLU effort. She also had at least one offensive zone entry, and stole the puck from a Saint in the neutral zone.

Lauren Moriyama

She acquired the puck in the Bulldogs zone multiple times and got it out safely. She also had at least one zone entry on the attack herself. She also fought the puck out of the Yale side at the blue line area.

Mallory Souliotis

She had at least one zone entry and was often trying to set up the offense. During penalty kills she disrupted an SLU shot, and also got the puck out of the goal mouth, in addition to a clear later. At even strength she intercepted an SLU centering pass and started it out of the area, and also later made sure the puck was extracted from the Yale goal area.

Emma Vlasic

In addition to being part of Yale’s first scoring line and working with her linemates on the attack, she disrupted an SLU effort at one point, and was responsible for several zone entries.

Courtney Pensavalle

She got the puck in the offensive zone to create possibilities. She also fed it to Vlasic for a break at another point. She fought the puck out of the Yale zone.

Kara Drexler

She disrupted SLU’s efforts. Also sent the puck out of the defensive end to Monaghan. Later she fought to get the puck across the blue line to stop the SLU offense, and she disrupted one of their zone entries. She sent the puck out of danger later than that as well.

Grace Wickens

With the puck in the Yale goal mouth she got it safely out of the way, she also had at least one steal in the Yale end.

Laura Anderson

Had at lest two clears on the penalty kill and was very active thwarting SLU’s attempts. She also stole the puck in the Saints end, and later on exited the puck from the Bulldogs goal area.

Emily Monaghan

She got the puck in the neutral zone and skated into the SLU zone with it. She also acquired the puck in the D zone and brought it out several times during the game.

Julia Yetman

In addition to her numerous efforts on the offensive side to set up scoring, she stole the puck in the defensive end, and also later, with puck in hand, evacuated the biscuit from the zone.

Jordan Chancellor

The dangerous Forward on several occasions grabbed the puck in the defensive end and brought it away, sometimes make it all the way to the SLU zone. She also battled to get the puck out of the Yale zone on the penalty kill and intercepted a Saints centering pass.

Greta Skarzynski

She had multiple steals or puck acquisitions in the defensive end and moved it out of danger. She also had at least zone entry, and intercepted an SLU puck in the offensive zone.

Saroya Tinker

She had multiple clears during penalty kills, and often was getting to the puck in the defensive zone and moving it away. She also disrupted an SLU centering pass.

Eden Murray

Murray had a short handed try doing the penalty kill and one of her blocks came during a PK. She had several puck acquisitions in the defense end, which she followed up by sending the puck out. She also disrupted at least SLU zone entry.

St. Lawrence

Hannah Miller

As part of the first SLU line she was heavily involved in either attacking or setting up the attack. Throughout the game she had multiple zone entries and had at least one steal in the offensive zone. Miller also fed Marchment to start a break in on net. Her stickhandling prowess allowed her to move through the Yale zone seeking opportunities. She also acquired the puck in the neutral zone to start the momentum back the other way. On the power play she had at least one shot and had at least one clear on the penalty kill. She fed it up to

Justine Reyes

In addition to her goal she had at least one steal in the offensive zone and had numerous zone entries.

Rachael Smith

She had at least one zone entry and acquired the puck in the offensive zone. She also intercepted a Yale pass in their zone and got off a shot at close range. Defensively she was noticed fighting the puck out of the SLU end. Late in the game with Yale using an extra attacker she knocked the puck away from the goal mouth after a Yale shot.

Skylar Podvey

She snatched the puck in the defensive zone and brought it out of danger. She Podvey was also noticed working in the offensive zone and getting the puck to prolong the attack. She also disrupted a Yale shot.

Kennedy Marchment

In addition to all she did to try to set up the offense and make plays, she also had at least one clear on the penalty kill.

Lydia Grauer

She intercepted a Yale pass and got the puck out of an SLU goal mouth.

Natalie Wozney

She had at least one zone entry and a steal in the offensive zone to keep the attempts coming.

Maggie McLaughlin

Brought the puck into the Yale zone.

Kayla Nielsen

Disrupted a Yale effort and cleared the puck on a penalty kill. She also skated in on an attack and also started it out of the Saints zone at one point.

Amanda McClure

Had at least one clear on the penalty kill, and a steal in the SLU zone.

Dakota Golde

She kept the puck from getting across the blue line on several power plays, and intercepted a Yale pass at a different point.

Amanda Butterfield

During Yale’s time with the extra attacker later in the third she cleared the puck out of the SLU zone.

Nadine Edney

Had numerous zone entries throughout the game, she also had several steals in the Yale zone to generate chances.

Kalie Grant

She had at least one zone entry to start the SLU attack, and within the Yale zone had at least one steal and intercepted a Bulldogs pass. She also fought the disc out of the SLU zone during a Yale attack.

Kayla Vespa

In addition to all she did as part of the first line, she also fought the puck out of the Saints end.