WILKES-BARRE, PA (November 8, 2024) -- In their Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) opener, the King's College women's ice hockey team dropped a 4-0 decision at cross-town rival Wilkes University on Friday afternoon. With the setback at the Toyota SportsPlex, the Monarchs fall to 0-2-0 and 0-1-0 in the conference, while the Colonels improve to 2-1-0 with a 1-0-0 conference mark.
 
King's (0-2-0, 0-1-0 MAC) had the early edge winning the first four face offs and getting two shots off by Sammi Stead and Amanda Sokol, but Wilkes (2-0-0, 1-0-0 MAC) Shifted the momentum over the next four minutes of play. It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first period with neither team finding a rhythm as the game remained scoreless, 0-0, at the first intermission.
 
It was a different story in the second. Both teams had a few looks early before the host Colonels found the back of the net four times in the period to take a daunting 4-0 advantage after two periods of action.
 
The Monarchs had a few opportunities in the final 20 minutes of action, but their efforts came up shy in the 4-0 setback on Friday afternoon.
 
Abby Barlocker, Brighton Wallin, and Lucy Beal all totaled a pair of shots in the loss, while Kait Wolf and Aspen Wallin blocked four shots a piece. Maddie Vaughan won 13 face offs, while Jordan Dittmar added 10 as the pair combined for 23 of their 28 face off wins. Will McPherson recorded 46 saves in the effort, including all 20 shots faced in the third period.
 
Iida Laitinen led the Colonels with a pair of goals off five shots, while both Haylee Bouchard and Amanda Spreadbury had a goal and an assist each. Jordan Ferry led the offense with seven shots while going 17-for-26 on face offs. Defensively, Chayce Hyndman blocked three shots, while Audrey Milne earned the win in goal with 14 saves.
 
As a team, the Monarchs blocked 16 shots and negated all three power play opportunities for the Colonels, limiting their hosts to 0-for-3 in extra-man opportunities.
 
King's will return to Coal Street Park tomorrow afternoon as they take on the Colonels in the second half of their weekend series. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre.