Box Score

NEW HAVEN, CT - Niagara opened play against the first of two Ivy League opponents this weekend with a commanding 5-1 victory over Yale University on Friday evening at Ingalls Rink.    

Junior forward Kelsey Welch netted two for Niagara (3-5-0, 0-0-0 CHA) while sophomore forward Jessica Hitchcock continued her strong play this season while the Purple Eagles outshot Yale (0-0-1, 0-0-0 ECAC) 37-21.  Hitchcock has tallied four goals, three assists and seven points in her last five games.  

“We played hard tonight and everyone contributed to the win,” said head coach Josh Sciba.  “Yale is a skilled team and missing some key players to injury, but our team came to play all night.  Abby had a great game as well.” 

Niagara struck first at 14:48 into the first period after Welch netted her third goal of the season off a feed from sophomore Kristin Richards.  

The Purple Eagles continued their strong play at the start of the second period.  Hitchcock scored a power play goal 3:09 minutes into the period off of assists from Kelsey Gunn and Kathleen Bortuzzo.  Freshman forward Kalli Funk earned her first goal as a Purple Eagle, adding to Niagara's lead at the 13:10 mark.  The third period was dominated by Niagara, outshooting Yale 20-4.  

The Bulldogs would get on the board in the final stanza on a power play goal from Jackie Raines 4:24 minutes in.  However the Purple Eagles would regain the three-goal lead just over a minute later off the stick of junior forward Daniela Dal Colle.  Welch would notch her second of the game, fourth of the season, off an assist from Dal Colle with 12:49 remaining on the clock.    

Niagara heads to New Jersey when it takes on the Princeton Tigers on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Baker Rink.  The game is set to begin at 3 p.m.