With over a dozen games under their belts, the members of Wesleyan’s women’s hockey team seem to have sorted out all their kinks and are currently playing the best that they have all season. On Tuesday, Dec. 4 the Cardinals once again put their skating skills to the test when they faced non-conference opponent Nichols College at home. Getting off to a strong lead, the squad never looked back and won decisively by a margin of 3-2.

The Cardinals clearly dominated the first period, taking 18 shots on goal to Nichols’ one. The first goal, however, was not scored until two minutes left in first period play. Alicia White ’15, assisted by Jenna Vanderlinden ’14, netted her first goal of the season with a sharp side-swipe past the Nichols’ goalie. Also in this first period, Corinne Rivard ’16 clocked her first minutes in a Cardinals uniform. While in net, she made seven saves.

Nichols fought back in the second period, this time taking nine shots on goal to Wesleyan’s 10. The only goal of this period, however, was scored by Lilah Fones ’15, her second of the season. She was assisted by both Vanderlinden and Laura Wasnick ’15. In this period, Wesleyan’s third goalie, Laura Corcoran ’16, also made her season debut. During her time in goal, Corcoran made eight stops and let in two goals.

Cara Jankoswki ’15 scored Wesleyan’s final goal less than four minutes into the third and final period. Jankoswki’s well-aimed shot over the left shoulder of the Nichols’ goalie marked her first career goal. Her fellow sophomore, Jordan Schildhaus, recorded an assist on the play.

Late into the third period, the Bisons began to rally, scoring at 11:30 to bring the score to 3-1. Nichols scored again at 18:50, but the Cardinals were able to hold on until the buzzer and won with a final score of 3-2.  The team’s ability to maintain a strong lead throughout the match marks the players’ cohesiveness and ability to skate well as a team.

This weekend’s win is no doubt a sign that the players are improving every time that they step on the ice. Rivard is positive about their win over Nichols and what the future holds for the Cardinals.

“This win was a great bounce back from a tough weekend against Amherst,” she noted. “We need confidence that we are capable this year of going further than our seniors have ever imagined.  It starts with the team bonding and then winning games and then making the playoffs.”

The Cardinals currently stand at 3-4-0 in overall play and 1-3-0 in the NESCAC conference. The team’s next match will be Friday, Dec. 7 at Salve Regina University. Over winter break, they will facing a bevy of opponents, including NESCAC rivals Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Connecticut College.