Box Score PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.) recorded four points (2-2-4) as the Nichols College women's ice hockey team defeated Plymouth State 5-2 in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East action Saturday afternoon at Hanaway Rink.
The win marks the eighth win of the season for the Bison (8-17-0, 5-12-0 ECAC Women's East), which makes it the most successful season in program-history. The win sends the Bison to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons under second-year head coach
Wil Brown. "It has taken hard work and dedication from everyone involved in the program," said Brown. "It's nice to finally get that mark that we set out for at the beginning of the year."
Senior
Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) joined Bufis with four points on the day (1-3-4) while senior
Kerri Nadeau (Chepachet, R.I.) chipped in with two apples.
Bufis opened the scoring started at 17:30 of the second period when she was able to slip one by junior Alyssa Altschuler (Cheshire, Conn.). Murphy was credited with the assist on the goal.
The Panthers (3-20-2, 3-13-1 ECACE) answered back at 14:04 when sophomore Frederike Brazeau Lalonde (Thetford Mines, Quebec) scored her first of two goals. Junior Olivia Leon (Natick, Mass.) and sophomore Lauren Connelly (Braintree, Mass.) had assists on the play.
The Bison took the lead again before the end of the second stanza when junior
Erin Dice (Ashburn, Va.) potted her second goal of the season to make it 2-1. Murphy was again credited with an assist.
It did not take Plymouth State long to even things up in the third period when Brazeau Lalonde got the best of senior
Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif.) for her second marker of the game at 1:55. Sophomores Haley Branovan (Wexford, Pa.) and Emily Auby (Stoughton, Mass.) assisted on the goal.
Senior
Jordan Fencl (Amana, Iowa) broke the 2-2 tie at 10:07 when she scored her second goal of the season and the eventual game-winner. Murphy again was credited with the assist while Bufis received the second-helper.
Murphy added another goal for good measure for the Bison at 16:52, marking her team-leading 10th goal of the season. The goal makes Murphy the first player in program-history to have double-digit goals in three different seasons.
Bufis put the nail in the coffin with her team-leading second short-handed goal into an empty net with 35 seconds left.
Gianformaggio improved to 7-10-0 after stopping 19 shots. Altschuler made 31 saves and fel to 3-14-1 on the season.
"Today's win was hard-fought and took a lot of grit and determination," said Brown. "We couldn't be prouder of those in the room that believed. We are very excited to be heading to the playoffs."
The No. 7 Bison are set to play in the ECAC Women's East Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season on Saturday against No. 2 Salve Regina at 7:00 p.m.
