CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College goaltender Mac Donovan '26 and the Continentals' special teams keyed a 2-0 win over the Trinity College Bantams in a 2024 NESCAC Women's Hockey Championship quarterfinal inside Hamilton's Russell Sage Rink on Saturday, Feb. 24.
 

Season Update

• The eighth-ranked Continentals (14-5-6 overall), who are the fourth seed for the championship, had two ties and an overtime loss in their previous three games. Hamilton defeated Trinity 3-1 back on Dec. 1 and played to a 1-1 tie the next day at Sage Rink.
• The 10^th-ranked Bantams (15-7-2) were shut out for the third time this season. No. 5 seed Trinity ended its season with two straight losses.

 

How It Happened

• The Continentals were getting outplayed early in the first period, and then a Hamilton player was sent to the penalty box for interference at 4:52 of the first.
• The penalty seemed to wake up the Continentals as Bobbi Roca '24 and Emily Ferguson '24 blocked shots.
• Cuora Sullivan '26 knocked the puck loose in the neutral zone in front of the teams' benches and Abby Smith '24 caught up to it inside the blue line in Hamilton's attacking zone. Smith split two defenders, skated into the slot and snapped off a wrist shot that snuck under the goaltender inside the left post for a short-handed goal 6:05 into the period.
• Smith nearly made it 2-0 about two minutes later when her wicked wrist shot clanged off the left post.
• The Continentals had a power-play opportunity late in the first and managed two shot attempts including one on goal.
• The Bantams controlled the first half of the second period and Hamilton took the upper hand late in the second. A Trinity player was given a minor penalty for slashing with 2:33 left in the period, and that led to Hamilton's next goal.
• A shot from the top of the right faceoff circle by Grace Crowley '26 was stopped but not held onto by the goaltender. Ali Joseph '25 took a couple whacks at the loose puck before Lydia Bullock '26, who was positioned near the left post, knocked it in with her backhand with 1:47 remaining.
• The Bantams received a power-play chance three minutes into the third period. Trinity had three shot attempts during the power play, but all three were blocked by Continental defenders.
• Donovan took it from there as they made six saves in the final 13 minutes and preserved the shutout.

 

Notes

• Donovan finished with 24 stops in their first postseason start, and has a 1.39 goals against average, .937 save percentage and two shutouts in seven starts this season.
• Smith is tied for seventh in the NESCAC with nine goals and tied for eighth with 17 points. She is second in the conference with five game-winners.
• Bullock has three goals in the last five games and five this season.
• Joseph is fourth on the team with six assists.
• Crowley recorded her first point since Jan. 9.
• Sullivan, who is a defender, registered her fourth assist and first since Jan. 23.
• Hamilton outshot the Bantams 4-0 on Trinity's two power plays.
• The Bantams won 34 of 54 faceoffs.
• Hannah Leclair turned away 26 shots including a dozen in the second period.

Next Game

The Continentals take on No. 1 seed Amherst College (21-2-2) in a NESCAC championship semifinal at Amherst on Friday, March 1 at 4 p.m.