Box Score

BURRILLVILLE, R.I. – Plymouth State junior goaltender Nicole Crandle (Bristol, Conn.) turned away 31 shots as the Panthers picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 triumph over host Nichols on Saturday night in an ECAC Women's East matchup at Levy Rink. The win snaps a five game drought against the Bison and marks the first time the Panthers have defeated Nichols since a 5-4 overtime victory in the first-ever meeting between the programs on Feburary 14, 2009 in New Hampshire.
 
Plymouth State had a great chance to grab the lead with 1:26 left in the first as sophomore Kelsey Cosby (Walpole, Mass.) took aim on an empty right side of the net as Nichols sophomore Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif.) sprawled out to make the stop. The Panthers took eight of the 15 shots in the frame while the visitors also went 0-for-1 on the power play in the stanza.
 
At the 8:33 mark in the second, Cosby found the back of the net with her first goal of the season for an unassisted tally as the Panthers led 1-0. Plymouth State finished the middle frame with a 15-10 advantage in the shot column while the Bison had two power play chances to the Panthers one.
 
Nichols, aided by pair extra man opportunities in the third – including a full two minute advantage to begin the period, outshot the guests 14-5. Five of the Bison shots were taken during a late power play opportunity before Plymouth State freshman Alysha Raimo's (Fitchburg, Mass.) shot caromed off the goaltender's pad and across the goal line for a shorthanded maker with 52.6 displayed on the scoreboard.
 
Crandle evened out her record at 1-1 while Gianformaggio slipped to 0-2 in the 26-save effort.
 
The Bison (2-7-0, 0-6-0 ECAC Women's East) close out the 2012 portion of the schedule when the team ventures to Middletown, Conn. for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference game against Wesleyan at Spurrier-Snyder Rink on Tuesday while Plymouth State (1-5-0, 1-5-0 ECAC Women's East)  travels to Colby for a 6:00 p.m. tilt, also on Tuesday.