Women’s Hockey Works Hard, Displays Will to Win

A dramatic overtime win over top-seeded Middlebury sent fourth-seeded women’s hockey to its first NESCAC final. The Mules (15-9-3) couldn’t manage consecutive upsets and fell to second-seed Amherst 7-1 in the tournament final, March 10 at Middlebury.

The semifinal win March 9 was one of the biggest victories in the program’s recent history. Lacey Brown ’09 made 46 saves, allowing just two goals in more than three and a half periods of hockey. Middlebury (19-3-3) outshot the Mules 48-17, but Brown frustrated the Panthers until Liz Osgood ’11 pounced on a rebound 13:16 into overtime and drove the puck home.

Laura Anning ’09 tallied the fastest goal ever recorded in a NESCAC tournament, scoring for Colby just 15 seconds into the game. Just over a minute later, the Mules scored again on a shot by Dana Yerigan ’10.

The Panthers tied the game in the second period. Neither team would score for the next 28:39, when Osgood scored the game-winner. Rebecca Julian ’09’s original shot was saved before Osgood snagged a rebound in the crease and buried it to send Colby to the finals.

Women’s hockey coach David Venditti called the victory “a willed win.”

“They never got nervous,” Venditti said. “They just kept working hard.”