McLellan's Program-Best Saves Not Enough to Stop No. 3 Norwich, Women's Hockey Falls, 4-0

EAST BOSTON – Despite a stand-up, program-best performance between the pipes by Julia McLellan, Suffolk women's hockey was unable to make it on the scoreboard and fell to No. 3 Norwich, 4-0, Friday night at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Rink.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 0 | No. 3 Norwich 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-8-2, 2-3-1 NEHC) | No. 3 Norwich (9-0-0, 6-0-0 NEHC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk tested Emily Lambert early on, peppering Norwich's netminder with attempts all over the ice in the first 10 minutes of the first period. The Cadets chance came as a dual on the boards drew McLellan to the left of the net. Ingrid Holstad-Berge won the scuffle, sent the puck to Carley Sedlar in front, who gave it to Ann-Frederique Guay. With McLellan caught off guard, Guay lighted tapped the puck past the goal line to start the scoring at the 10:50 minute mark. 

The Cadets added to their advantage when Suffolk was whistled for the first penalty in the outing of the night. When Izzy Hendry went to the box for tripping, Holstad-Berg picked up her own rebound in a cluster of skaters and put it away with nine seconds left on the power play for the two-goal lead. Sedlar secured her second assist of the night on the score.  

After a quiet 14 minutes in the middle period things got interesting when Madison Duff was called for a high stick. The Cadets 5-on-4 opportunity did not last long, however, as Sedlar was sent to the pen 22 seconds later, which set up 4-on-4. With one less skater on both sides, it opened the ice, which created Amanda Conway's record tying score at the 15:07 minute mark. The senior's ninth goal of the season, 93rd of her career, which matches Norwich's all-time mark, stretch the margin to three with just under five minutes to play in the second stanza.   

Norwich tacked another goal on at the midway mark of the final frame as Guay scored her second of the night to put the game out of reach for the blue-and-gold.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• McLellan finished with 39 stops. 
• Lambert picked up 26 stops for the shutout.  

STATISCALLY SPEAKING

• Norwich outshot Suffolk, 43-26, and won the face-off battle, 33-26.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams played their first ranked opponent of 2019-20 and third-ever ranked foe. 
• McLellan produced a career-high and program-best 39 saves.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is back at it tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 7 when it welcomes Salem State to Louis E. Porazzo Memorial Skating Rink for a 5:30 p.m. puck drop.