Women’s Hockey Wrap Regular Season with Loss to Rivier

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Women's Ice Hockey team wrapped up their regular season this evening when they welcomed Rivier University to the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink for a MASCAC matchup with the Raiders. Despite a depleted bench, MCLA hung with the Raiders for the first 43 minutes, but as the game wore on, the Trailblazers wore down, and Rivier pulled away to win 5-2.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, February 22, 2025
• Score: Rivier 5, MCLA 2
• Records: Rivier University Raiders 14-10-1 (MASCAC 11-4-1) | MCLA Trailblazers 9-16-1 (MASCAC 3-12-1)

SENIOR NIGHT

Before the first game, the Trailblazers recognized the women's hockey program's first-ever graduating senior class as part of senior night. Brigh Cote and Alexandrea Bednar were honored by coaches, teammates, family members, and fans for their time with the hockey program. Although their time with the program may end, they will forever be a part of the MCLA family.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

• MCLA struck first when sophomore defenseman Summer Bissaillion (Blind River, ON / Sudbury Wolves) forced aa turnover by the Raiders in the neutral zone. Bissaillion chipped the puck ahead to senior forward Alexandrea Bednar (Vita, MB / Univ. of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) (at 3:03, from Bissaillion) who skated in on the goalie before backhanding the shot high over the netminder's glove side shoulder. The goal was Bednar's 13^th of the season, and the assist was the 6^th for Bissaillion.
• With less than a minute remaining in the first period, Rivier pulled even, scoring the first of three straight goals for the visitors. Jessica Driscoll (19:10, Rebecca McKelvey and Kayley Young) was credited with the equalizer, sending the teams into the first intermission knotted at one goal apiece.
• The Raiders added two more goals in the second frame. The first came on a power play from McKelvey (12:06, Jillian Hallee), and the second was by Tia Picardi (18:26, Keegan McGaheran and Ellie Grady).
• Seconds after an MCLA penalty had expired, sophomore forward Belle Wurmser (Brick, NJ / Princeton Tiger Lillies) jumped into play to score her fourth goal of the year. This time, it was Bednar causing a turnover that led to a goal, intercepting a pass in the Raiders defensive end and passing it to Wurmser at the right side of the crease for the easy score. The assist was the seventh of the season for Bednar.
• That would be as close as the Trailblazers would get because Rivier tacked on a pair of insurance goals as the third period wore on. McGaheran (7:03, Heather McHatton) provided the first insurance goal, and Margaret Smith (12:09, Alexa Vencill and Jessica Driscoll) notched the second.
• The Raiders' Rachel Symmes stopped 27 of 29 shots to improve her record to 5-4-1. MCLA's junior goalie Juliette Barney (Braintree, MA / Anna Maria College) took the loss to fall to 3-9-0, despite recording 52 saves.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: Rivier 57, MCLA 29
• Saves: Rivier 27, MCLA 52
• Faceoffs Won: Rivier 29, MCLA 28
• Penalty/Minutes: Rivier 1/2:00, MCLA 2/4:00
• Power Plays: Rivier 1 for 2, MCLA 0 for 1

UP NEXT:

On Wednesday, MCLA will be back in action when it travels to the Buffone Arena and Anna Maria College for the first round of the MASCAC playoffs. The puck will drop at 5:40 p.m.

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