AMHERST, NY – Hilbert College Women's Hockey battled Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts this evening in the Hawks' first home game of the season. After Hilbert jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first, the Trailblazers used four unanswered goals to spoil the Hawks' home opener and take the first game of the weekend doubleheader 6-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED

MCLA got on the board first in the game as Carlen Bertrand's slot shot went in off the post six minutes into the contest.

It didn't take long for the Hawks to respond and tie the game at one. Jacqueline Alaburda fought to win the puck back before she sprung Kaitlin Cowie loose on a breakaway at the other end. The Hilbert captain made a nice move to pull the MCLA goalie out of position and put the puck in the wide-open net to make it 1-1 less than three minutes after the Trailblazers' opener.

Cowie wasn't done there as she added a second goal with 2:34 left in the opening frame. After goalie Tia Card poked away an MCLA attack, Cowie grabbed the puck in her own zone and skated over the offensive blue line before firing a perfectly-placed shot in the top left corner of the Trailblazers' net to give the Hawks the lead.

However, just 19 seconds later MCLA had an answer, Alexandrea Bednar buried a loose puck in the crease to even the game up at two goals apiece, which is how the game would stand as the buzzer sounded the conclude the period.

The middle frame belonged to the visitors as the Trailblazers found the back of the net twice to take a 4-2 lead into the third period.

After Hilbert picked up the pressure and looked to mount a comeback, MCLA tallied their fourth-straight goal 6:21 into the third to widen the gap.

The Hawks were not ready to go away yet as Izabelle Wagner recorded the first goal of her career with just under seven minutes left to play to cut the lead to 5-3. Brooke Kwiecien and Cowie worked the puck to the front of the net from down low to find Wagner who sent a low shot to the back of the net for the Hawks' third goal of the game.

A late powerplay opportunity offered Hilbert a chance to fight back but the Trailblazers sealed the game with an empty-net goal from their own zone.
 
GAME NOTES

• Cowie's two-goal, one-assist performance gave the sophomore her first three points of the campaign.
• Wagner's third period goal was the first of her collegiate career, and extended her season-opening three-game point streak (1 goal, 3 assists) to three games.
• Tia Card made 37 stops in net, while Caitlin Conrad blocked seven Trailblazer shots in front of her.

 
UP NEXT

The two teams return to Northtown Center tomorrow afternoon for game two of the weekend doubleheader. Puck drop is set for 4 PM.