Women’s hockey begins 2023 with a 2-1 overtime victory over Connecticut College

MIDDLETOWN, CT. The Wesleyan women’s hockey team started 2023 on a high note with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over NESCAC opponent Connecticut College. Despite a 41-19 win, the Cardinals were able to hang on in regulation and force overtime. In three-on-three overtime, the Cardinals immediately went on offense, taking advantage of a four-on-three power play opportunity to win their first game of the new year. The winner of the game survived Christina Tournas ’25 will help the Cardinals win their final non-conference game before heading to NESCAC play. Wesleyan improves to 7-1-1 with the win, while Connecticut College falls to 5-2.

The teams started the season in a two-game series, where the teams split. The games were classified as NESCAC games unlike today. Connecticut College won the first game 2-0, the two goals allowed are still the most Wesleyan and Rei Halloran ’23 have allowed the game so far. This season-opening loss is the Cardinals’ only loss in nine games. The Cardinals bounced back in the second game of the season, handing the Camels their first loss of the 2022-23 season in shutout fashion, 1-0. Overall, Wesleyan holds the series lead with a 38-29-5 record, including Monday afternoon’s win.

The first period started slowly, with both teams feeling each other out after a three-week break. In a very cleanly played first period, there were very few whistles, no penalties and only a handful of starts. In the first 10 minutes of the period, Wesleyan and Connecticut College each managed three shots. In the final 10 minutes of the period, the Camels offense came alive as Wesleyan fired nine shots. Halloran turned them all away for the second period deadlocked at nil.

The Cardinals opened the second period with an immediate field goal. Rachel Ziff ’23 took a picture of the blue line diverging to where Effie Tournas ’25 expected to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in less than two minutes. The Camels responded right away a minute later, recording five shots on goal, the last of which slipped past the Cardinals’ goal to tie the score at one. Caroline O’Keefe was Connecticut College’s scorer as she followed up the shot and paid for the point blank to the ball. Wesleyan’s defense was under siege for the final 15 minutes of the period, but managed to kill two power play spots and turn away 19 shots to enter the final 20 minutes tied at 1.

Wesleyan turned up the offensive pressure to start the 3rd^rd season with eight shots on goal in the first nine minutes of the final period of regulation. A Wesleyan penalty at the 12 minute mark shifted the momentum back to Camel, but Wesley’s penalty held. Connecticut College managed to score just as their power play ended, which ricocheted off the crossbar before being released from Wesleyan territory. Both defenses held on in the final minutes to force overtime. In a three-on-three overtime, Wesleyan came through quickly. A hooking call on the Camels put the Cardinals on the power play just 35 seconds in, and the game-winner came less than 30 seconds later. Jenna Stevens The ’24 carried the puck to the left side of the goal before delivering a perfect centering pass Christina Tournas ’25 when the one-timer gave Wesleyan a 2-1 overtime win.

Wesleyan and Halloran held Connecticut College to just one goal, the seventh time in eight games they’ve done so. Halloran made a season-high 40 saves, bringing his save percentage to 96.5 percent, which is 5th.^th on the ground, 2^n.d among goalkeepers with at least 175 saves. Effie Tournas is now tied for the team lead with three goals. Christina Tournas made him 2^n.d goal of the season, his 1st^St game winner. Caroline Jenkins ’23 records his first assist of the season while Ziff adds 2^n.d. Stevens continues to create for the Cardinals offense with 6^th season in assists, which ranks in the top 10 in the NESCAC.

Wesleyan moves into NESCAC play this week with two games against Williams on the 6th^th and 7^th at Spurrier-Snyder Rink.