Bobcats Split Home & Home with Cadets

Saranac Lake, NY & Northfield, VT ~ The Paul Smith's College women's hockey team split their home and home series with Norwich over the weekend, falling 2-1 at home on Saturday before turning around and winning 5-3 away on Sunday.

Saturday's game saw the Bobcats control play and outshoot the Cadets 54-21, but the visiting goalie stymied the hosts and denied their chances time after time.

The Cadets jumped out to a 2-0 lead halfway through the first with goals less than a minute apart.  The Bobcats did everything they could to get one by goalkeeper Kendall Parker, but the Texas native was steadfast in net.  It wasn't until the third period on a 5-on-3 power play that the Bobcats were able to get on the board as Evelyn Noakes (Clifton Park, NY) tipped a shot in from the point by Lindsay Palmer (Clifton Park, NY) with 12:12 left to play.

The rest of the game was dominated by the hosts as they outshot the Cadets 18-4 in the final frame, but they weren't able to equalize and dropped their third straight Independent Women's Club Hockey League (IWCHL) Adirondack Division matchup.

Sunday's game was a different story as the Bobcats were finally able to solve the Norwich keeper.

"After outshooting Norwich 54-21 yesterday, we knew we had the capability to beat them," recalled Rob Burke, head coach of the women's hockey team.  "It was another tough, physical battle today, and we lost Evelyn to an injury late in the game," said Burke.  

The Bobcats went down 1-0 in the first but then had a second period neither team will soon forget, scoring four goals to take a 4-1 lead into the third.  Samantha Barrett (Oak Park, IL) scored twice, including the first of two back-to-back shorthanded goals just 47 seconds apart.  Senior Leah Coulombe (Jay, NY) also notched two goals in the middle frame, both on special teams.  Her first came at the 9:42 mark on the power play to put the Bobcats up 2-1.  The second was the latter half of the Bobcat shorthanded brace at the 7:08 mark.

"After Saturday's loss we all wanted a win to close out the weekend," said Barrett.  "We had a better first period which put us on the right track and everyone worked hard to get the win," she added.

The Cadets would get two more in the third but senior forward Leola Brown (Brooklyn, NY) put the game out of reach with a power play goal at 11:11 and the Bobcats held on for the victory.  Senior goalkeeper Lola De Toni (Ottawa, ON) backstopped the win, stopping 18 shots in the process.

"I'm really proud of our team for being able to bounce back and win after losing the first game," said De Toni.  "This just goes to show that even with a short bench, hard work and teamwork can get you through any game - everyone dug deep and earned this one!" she exclaimed.

"Today's bounceback win truly was a team effort," added Burke.  "I honestly could not have asked any more of my players... they earned this victory as a team!"

The Bobcats are 5-3 overall and 3-3 in the IWCHL, good enough for second place in the league standings.  Next up, they take on Clarkson University at 3:30pm on Sunday, November 16th at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, NY.

You can follow the women's hockey team on Instagram at @pscwhockey or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.