Canton, NY – Riley Andzel and Danika Lalonde had two points each, Molly Lenihan made 28 saves in between the pipes, and the SUNY Canton women's hockey team left it all on the ice in a gritty 2-1 win over the William Smith Herons at home Friday night.
 
THE BASICS

• Result: SUNY Canton 2, William Smith 1  
• Location: Terry Martin Ice Arena – Canton, NY   
• Records: SUNY Canton (13-8-3, 5-6-2 SUNYAC) | William Smith (11-13-0, 7-6-0 SUNYAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• About halfway through the first period, Lalonde stole a pass in the Roos defensive zone that was headed for the point and went the other way with it along the far side boards. Andzel skated up center ice along with Lalonde and a nice pass from Lalonde to Andzel gave the junior a goal and a 1-0 SUNY Canton advantage.
• The Roos got on the power play with around four minutes left and Lucy Beal at the blue line fed Andzel who found Laonde open and Lalonde cashed in a backhand goal to make it 2-0 Roos.
• The first period ended with the Roos ahead 2-0 while shots on goal were even at seven.
• SUNY Canton had some significant zone time in the first 15 minutes of the second period, with plenty of zone time and loose pucks in the zone of the Herons despite no results on the scoreboard.
• Late in the second period, William Smith had some great looks and Molly Lenihan had to make four saves in the final 21 seconds to preserve the shutout.
• Each team put on 11 shots on goal in the middle 20 minutes to put shots on goal at 18-18.  
• 3:33 into the third period, the Herons got on the board with Lilly Relyea scoring a nice wrap-around goal to trim the Roos lead to 2-1.
• The Roos were back on the defensive end a bit more in the third period, but even with Mia Iwicki being pulled with 93 seconds remaining, the Herons could not get beyond one goal, falling 2-1.
• With the win and the Buffalo State loss, the Roos have clinched their spot in the SUNYAC women's hockey playoffs. They will be either the five or six seed pending results the rest of this weekend.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Andzel scored the first goal for the Roos, assisted by Danika Lalonde. The second goal was put in Lalonde and assisted by Andzel and Beal.
• Lilly Relyea scored the lone unassisted goal for William Smith.
• Thanks to a big third period, shots on goal were 29-24 in favor of the Herons. With only one period by each team in the first period, the Roos cashed in on their only opportunity while holding the Herons without a goal in their chance.
• Lenihan had a .965-save-percentage afternoon with 28-of-29 saves in the win. Iwicki was solid with 22 saves on 24 shots.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos will wrap up the regular season tomorrow, February 21 against the Buffalo State Bengals at 3 p.m. on Senior Day.  
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.