Women’s ice hockey shuts out MCLA

Izabela Gage / THE GATEPOST

By Taylor Kimmell Asst. Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams trampled the MCLA Trailblazers 6-0 in a shutout conference matchup Nov. 22. This victory brings the team’s conference record to 1-4 and their overall record to 1-6. Sophomore Finley Hogan won the initial faceoff, allowing the Rams to maintain possession for the first minute of the game. Sophomore Alyssa Tansek shot the first puck, but her attempt was blocked by MCLA’s goalkeeper, Katherine Moose. With the puck landing back on her stick, Alyssa Tansek shot again three seconds later, but Moose was right there to save it. After an unsuccessful faceoff for FSU, the Trailblazers took possession, sending in a shot at 1:18 that was blocked by Framingham’s goalkeeper Lila Chamoun, a sophomore. MCLA shot again 20 seconds later, but sophomore Bella Nappi saved the puck with her stick. MCLA had two more shots before sophomore Sarah Lewis won the next faceoff for the Rams. The next 2 minutes yielded five more shots from the Rams - two from freshman Alexis Brown, and one each from freshman Molly Murphy and sophomores Adrianna Rizzotto and Ruby Boucher. Despite the Trailblazers’ success on the following faceoff, the Rams took possession, allowing shots from Hogan and sophomore Petra Cernicek. Over the next 7 minutes, Chamoun accumulated seven saves in the net, while the Rams' offense continued to pressure MCLA’s side of the ice. After Chamoun’s next save, FSU quickly brought the puck down the ice and, on a pass from sophomore Amy Tansek, Lewis scored the first goal of the match at 18:41. Lewis said, “I think the first goal I scored got us rolling and motivated us to take more shots and create traffic in front of the net.” Hogan and Boucher each attempted a goal before the final 2 minutes of the period ticked down, but both shots were blocked by Moose. In the wake of Lewis’ goal, the Rams returned to the ice for the second period motivated, with freshman Rose Brien netting a goal in the first 49 seconds, scoring not only the second goal of the match, but the first of her collegiate career. MCLA tried four more times to score on Chamoun, but each one was saved. When possession returned to Framingham, Hogan shot three times before crossing the puck to Amy Tansek, who netted it to bring the score to 3-0. The Rams held control of the game for the next minute with shots from Alyssa Tansek, Rose Brien, Lewis, and freshman Katie Creath. When MCLA gained possession, Chamoun blocked all three of their shots. Framingham regained control on offense for four more shots before the Trailblazers tried for a short drive, sending in two shots that were both saved by Chamoun. At 9:06, Rizzotto was called for interference, putting MCLA on a power play. Despite being down a player, FSU scored their fourth goal with a strong shot by Lewis on an assist from sophomore Lily Wilson. The remainder of the second period saw more success on Framingham’s side, outshooting the Trailblazers 19-14. Lewis won the first faceoff of the final period, leading to a shot from Amy Tansek that was saved by Moose. Boucher was sent to the penalty box for hooking 50 seconds in, forcing Framingham into a penalty kill. A shot from sophomore Jamie Webster and one from Hogan, and three saves by Chamoun and one by Wilson, took place before Boucher returned to the ice. Rizzotto, Brown, and Murphy each took turns shooting on goal, but each of their attempts proved unsuccessful. Freshman Sophie Brien sent in a shot, but also struggled to find the back of the net. Three minutes later, MCLA had a string of shots on Framingham’s goal, but all six were saved by Chamoun. For the next 8 minutes, both teams swapped possession. Then, at 17:53, on a chain of passes from Rizzotto to Sophie Brien, the puck was sent to Webster, who sent it to the back of the net for FSU’s fifth goal. With just 2 minutes left, the Rams continued to keep play on MCLA’s side of the ice, pressuring the net. Assisted by Alyssa Tansek and Hogan, Boucher netted the puck with a minute left on the clock, and the game ended with a score of 6-0 in favor of Framingham. The Rams outshot the Trailblazers 54-42, which Lewis said “paid off with the score. That is something we will want to keep doing every game.” She added the team also moved the puck well, which will be important to continue to focus on as the season progresses. Lewis said, “We put work in over the summer and so far this year in the gym, which isn’t always easy, but is something we recognize will help us win games like these. “It was nice to see this hard work pay off, and I think it will motivate us to keep working hard off the ice in order to win more games this season,” she added. The Rams travel to Albertus Magnus College for a non-conference matchup Dec. 5.