The Buffalo State (4-3-1) women’s hockey team continued its dominance over conference foe Chatham University (0-4) this past weekend, outscoring the Cougars 9-1 in a pair of convincing home victories.
Senior Christine Williams earned six of the team’s nine scores over the two games, netting a hat trick on Saturday as the Bengals cruised to a 5-0 shutout before recording three additional points (2 goals 1 assist) during Buffalo State’s 4-1 victory on Sunday.
Head coach Rob Burke said Williams’ performance was imperative to the team’s success over the weekend.
“She’s our leader. When we’re doing well, you know she plays a big part in that,”he said. “This weekend she was flying all over the place. She is key for what we do on offense but also does the little things that are crucial for us if we’re going to win.”
Buffalo State missed a number of chances early as they got off to a slow start on Saturday, but Williams’first goal put the Bengals on the board 14:54 into the first period.
They wouldn’t look back.
Williams’ second goal of the contest came on the power play in the second period, and three Bengal goals in the third period, scored by senior Brianna Murphy, junior Lauren Mallo and Williams, gave the team their biggest margin of victory since December of last season.
Buffalo State outshot Chatham 40-10 throughout the game and sophomore goalie Jordan Lee earned her first shutout as a Bengal.
“It was nice to get the wins,”said Murphy, who recorded four points of her own over the weekend. “Right now we’re all skating really well…getting pucks to the net. We’re just playing really well together.”
Buffalo State carried their momentum from the win into Sunday, when Williams tallied another goal just over three minutes into the first period, putting the team out in front again.
The Bengals then jumped out to a 3-0 lead after power-play goals from freshman Jeyna Minnick and Williams before Chatham finally found the back of the net with a power-play goal of their own.
Junior Courtney Carnes’goal early in the third period gave the Bengals a 4-1 lead they would carry until the end of the game to secure a much-needed six-point weekend for the team.
With her efforts on Sunday, Williams now has 11 points in eight games this season and leads the ECAC West in goals (9). Her performance over the weekend earned her the conference’s Player of the Week honors —a feat she said was a product of great play from her line mates.
“We’re just really clicking right now,”Williams said. “We have some great chemistry going. Bri and I have played together for a long time and Jayna fits in with us so well. It’s all coming together.”
That line of Williams, assist-leader Murphy and Minnick, who started the year on defense, has been the catalyst to the Bengals’early-season success, accounting for 25 of the team’s 48 points recorded this season.
With the two wins over Chatham, the Bengals move up to fifth place in the conference heading into their series on Dec. 3 and 4 against an undefeated Plattsburgh team that is currently ranked fourth in the nation among Division III schools.
Burke said the team’s recent success will serve as a big confidence booster as the Bengals set out on their first road trip of the season following a week-long recess for Thanksgiving.
“We’re really pleased with the two ‘Ws,'” he said. “The team is starting to find our winning ways. Heading in (to Plattsburgh), we’re definitely the underdogs, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We like that role; that’s what we’re comfortable with.”
The underdog role is one the Bengals have certainly embraced of late. Last season they defeated another top-ranked team in Elmira for the first time in program history. Burke said they’ll be looking to duplicate that benchmark against the Cardinals, who the Bengals have never beaten in 22 games.
“Our kids always get geared up for games like this,”he said. “We know we can play with them if we’re playing our best hockey.
“Our challenge, our goal, is to get the first win (against Plattsburgh) in team history…we’ve got nothing to lose.”
Brandon Schlager can be reached by email at schlager.record@live.com.