Five-Goal Second Period Helps Women’s Hockey Glide Past Framingham State

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Women's Ice Hockey Team opened the MASCAC portion of their schedule this evening when they welcomed the Framingham State Rams to the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink. Five goals in the second period, including two from Alexandrea Bednar, led the Trailblazers to victory in their first MASCAC conference game.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
• Score: Framingham State 1, MCLA 5
• Records: Framingham State Rams 0-6-0 (MASCAC 0-2-0) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-0-0 (MASCAC 1-0-0)
• Series History: First-ever meeting of the teams; this is the inaugural season for the Framingham State Women's Hockey program.

HIGHLIGHTS

• While it looked like it was going to be a scoreless first period with the team feeling each other out, Framingham State's Sarah Lewis had other plans. Lewis scored the game's first goal with just over two minutes remaining in the first period, assisted by Petra Cernicek. It was Lewis' first goal, and the assist was Cernicek's second of the season.
• MCLA stormed back in the second period. Sophomore defenseman Carlen Bertrand (Timmins, ON / Sudbury Wolves) started the charge, scoring with just under 12 minutes remaining. She skated through three Rams defenders and flipped the puck over the goalie's right shoulder into the cage. The goal was Bertrand's NCAA D3-leading ninth of the year.
• Senior forward Alexandrea Bednar (Vita, MB / Univ. of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) gave the Trailblazers the lead just over eight minutes later. Framingham State had a shot blocked by sophomore defenseman Mallory Stuart (Harpswell ME / Casco Bay Mariners) that rebounded out to sophomore defenseman Summer Bissaillion (Blind River, ON / Sudbury Wolves), who pushed it ahead to Bednar at her own blue line. Bednar went the distance, skating in on the defenseless Rams netminder, and backhanded a shot over the goalie's stick side shoulder.
• On the ensuing faceoff, Framingham State won the draw and dumped the puck in behind the MCLA net, where first-year defenseman Breanna Patterson (Argyle, TX / Dallas Stars Elite) recovered it and sent it along the left boards to sophomore forward Maggie Danchak (Chalfont, PA / Philadelphia Little Flyers), who sent it across the ice to sophomore forward Milena Monell (Tampa, FL / Florida Alliance). Monell outraced a Framingham defender to the puck and deked another before continuing up ice and tossing the puck over the goalie's blocker side.
• The Bissaillion to Bednar connection happened again with just under two minutes to go in the period. Bissaillion forced a turnover by an FSU player near the MCLA's blueline and sent it ahead to Bednar, who skated across the front of the net and backhanded the puck to the short side of the net. The goal was Bednar's seventh, and the assist was Bissaillion's second of the year.
• The goal barrage wasn't done yet, with the Trailblazers adding another goal when Stuart kept the puck in the Rams' end and fired off a heavy slap shot from the middle of the ice that was redirected by first-year forward Kiera Grom (Livonia, MI / Belle Tire). The goal was the first of her career for Grom, while the assist was Stuart's second of the season.
• The Rams did add one additional goal with just under four minutes remaining after Lewis picked up the puck deep in the MCLA end and passed across the crease to Cernicek for the backdoor goal. The goal was Cernicek's second of the year, and the assist was Lewis' third.
• Sophomore goalie Kaitlyn O'Brien (Ridley Park, PA / Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) stopped 17 of the 19 shots on net and improved her record to 2-0-0. It was a long night for Framingham's Lila Chamoun, who fell to 0-3-0 despite picking up 37 saves.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: FSU 19, MCLA 42
• Saves: FSU 37, MCLA 17
• Faceoffs Won: FSU 32, MCLA 29
• Penalty/Minutes: FSU 3/6:00, MCLA 1/5:00
• Power Plays: FSU 0 for 2, MCLA 0 for 2

UP NEXT:

On Tuesday, MCLA will be back in action when they travel down route 2 to Wiliams College for a non-conference matchup with the Ephs at the Lansing Chapman Rink. The puck will drop at 7 p.m.

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