Colby White Mules Dominate Hamilton In NESCAC Quarterfinals 7-1

Waterville, Maine- The Colby College White Mules (13-5-2) had a comfortable 3-1 lead after two intermissions, and an offensive barrage of four goals in a 6:23 span in the third period blew open the game as the Mules beat the Hamilton College Continentals (8-16-0) handily 7-1. This win is huge for the women's hockey program, as this was their first home playoff game at Alfond Ice Arena since 1971. Lynn Hasday '05 (Rockville Center, N.Y.) saved 22-23 shots in the victory for the Mules, while Jen Kroleski '03 (New Rochelle, N.Y.) turned away 26 of the 33 shots she faced.

The Mules opened the scoring when Heather DeVito '05 (Arlington, Mass.) was in perfect position for the rebound of a Kelley Jessopp '02 (Mettawa, Ill.) slap-shot for the put back and 1-0 Colby lead. DeVito continued her aggressive offensive attack when minutes later she used some fancy stick-work to maneuver between two Hamilton defenders, but her backhanded shot just missed the net wide. Hamilton would threaten when Jessica Morin '05 (Colchester, Vt.) was all alone on a breakaway, but her wrist shot clinked off the post.

To start the second period Hamilton was able to tie the score up when Paula Dady '03 (Wallingford, Conn.) intercepted a Colby pass at center ice and beat Hasday to tie the score up at 1-1. Colby would retake the lead though for the remainder of the game when Michele Barmash '05 (Kirkland, Quebec) had great position on another Jessopp slap-shot for the rebound and a 2-1 Colby lead. An exciting goal would push the lead to 3-1, when Caitlin Krause '05 (Keene, N.H.) used a pretty spin move to create space in front of the net, then with her back to the goalie she backhanded the puck past Kroleski for a 3-1 lead.

The offensive assault would begin at 10:12 of the second period when a Christina Dotchin '04 (Essex, Vt.) slap-shot was deflected by Michelle Mancuso '02 (Albuquerque, N.M.) past Kroleski for a 4-1 lead. One minute and forty-five seconds later Colby would add to their lead when Barmash put in another rebound for a 5-1 lead. Dotchin notched Colby's sixth goal of the night when she buried a slap-shot from a few feet within the blue line into the top right corner of the net. Carolyn Lindley '02 (New York, N.Y.) scored the final goal for the Mules, bringing the crowd and Colby bench to their feet as this was the last game in Waterville for all of Colby's seniors.

TEAM TIME PERIOD PLAYER (ASSISTS)

COL 5:34 1 Heather DeVito (Kelley Jessopp, Kate Sweeney)

HAM 5:24 2 Paula Dady (Unassisted)

COL 13:16 2 Michele Barmash (Carrie Swiderski, Jessopp)

COL 15:42 2 Caitlin Krause (Jill Young)

COL 10:12 3 Michelle Mancuso (Christina Dotchin)

COL 11:57 3 Barmash (Jennifer Anderson)

COL 15:21 3 Dotchin (Madeline Mineau, Young)

COL 17:35 3 Carolyn Lindley (Young, Dotchin)