PITTSTON, PA (January 17, 2026) -- The King's College women's ice hockey team put together a full 60-minute effort on Saturday afternoon to defeat Stevenson University 3-2 in a thrilling Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) showdown at the Revolution Ice Centre. The win marked the first of the season for the Monarchs and the first NCAA victory for first-year Head Coach Quinn La Rock. King's improves to 1-15-0 on the season and 1-11-0 in the MAC, while the Mustangs fall to 2-13-1 overall with a 2-9-1 record in conference play.
 
The Monarchs opened the game with a surge of energy, as Maddie Vaughan and Riley Kumrow registered shots on goal in the first minute of the contest. Nina Anzalone followed up with a third shot as King's pressed for an early tally.
 
The offensive pressure forced Stevenson to commit a minor penalty at 3:25, sending the Monarchs to the first power play of the afternoon. Abby Barlocker sent one shot towards goal that was blocked by a defender before the game returned to even strength.
 
The Mustangs began to tilt the ice once they returned to even strength, forcing goaltender Will McPherson to make their second save of the day. McPherson received some help from Victoria Fleury-Wright and Sammi Stead, who both got in the way of shots to keep Stevenson off the board.
 
After a malfunction with McPherson's mask, the Monarchs briefly turned to Mylei Chowdhry to take over goaltending duties. Chowdhry proved ready for the task, turning aside the one shot she faced before McPherson reentered in net.
 
The tides continued to shift on King's as the Mustangs got on the board at 11:38 to take a 1-0 lead. The visitors continued to apply pressure and drew another penalty in the process, however McPherson and the defense held strong with a series of key saves and blocks to prevent any further damage.
 
Stevenson got the gate for an interference minor in the final minutes of the first frame, giving the Monarchs an opportunity to even the score before intermission. After Maddie Vaughan won a pivotal faceoff in the offensive zone, the man advantage unit got to work cycling the puck around the perimeter of the ice. Barlocker sent a pass to Vaughan at the goal line, who quickly dished a centering pass that deflected off the skate of Stead and into the back of the net. Vaughan and Barlocker were credited with assists on Stead's third goal of the season, leveling the score at 17:08.
 
The Mustangs attempted to respond in the final moments of the period, however a trio of McPherson saves kept the game tied at 1-1 entering the first intermission.
 
King's looked to add another power play goal after heading back to the man advantage roughly five minutes into the second period. Despite generating several high-quality scoring opportunities from Stead, Emma Heinrich and Jerrett Tietz, the power play was cut short after a tripping call went against the Monarchs.
 
The King's defense was tested with extended time in their own zone, but a slew of saves by McPherson killed off the penalty. Stevenson continued to attack the net, but Annie Sommer blocked a bid by the Mustangs to keep the score knotted at 1-1.
 
A strong forecheck by Amanda Sokol yielded a turnover deep in the attacking zone. After picking up the puck along the end boards, Heinrich returned the puck to Sokol, who rifled a shot that snuck under the goaltender's arm and into the goal. Heinrich picked up the lone helper of Sokol's third tuck of the season at 11:26, putting King's in the lead by a score of 2-1.
 
The Mustangs continued to press, drawing another penalty in the process. After a barrage of shots were kept out of McPherson's net, the Monarchs flipped the tables after play returned to five-a-side. Vaughan intercepted a breakout pass by Stevenson and put a pair of shots on the goalie, collecting her rebound both times. The captain of the Monarchs circled the net and backhanded a pass to Heinrich, who slid a shot through the netminder's five-hole to extend the lead to 3-1. Vaughan collected her second assist of the day on Heinrich's third of the season at 16:40, sending King's into the second intermission with a two-goal cushion.
 
The opening stages of the final frame was marked by several scoring chances for the Mustangs. McPherson was tested early and often, receiving assistance via blocked shots from Eva Goner and Vaughan in the first five minutes.
 
Stevenson continued to apply pressure and was awarded a pair of overlapping power plays around the eight-minute mark of the third, creating a stretch of 5-on-3 play that forced King's into extended defensive-zone shifts. Fleury-Wright laid out for back-to-back blocks while Goner and Tietz also contributed defensively to limit second-chance opportunities. McPherson made a series of saves through traffic to keep the lead intact as King's weathered the storm before returning to full strength.
 
Yet another King's penalty proved costly as the Mustangs pulled their goalie in favor of an extra attacker and quickly scored on the power play to cut their deficit to one with 6:12 remaining in regulation.
 
Stevenson continued to make a push late in the period, however King's earned a power play and generated sustained pressure in the offensive zone. Vaughan recorded two shots in quick succession, and Sokol followed with three straight attempts that forced multiple saves.
 
Stevenson pressed again in the final minutes with the net empty, but McPherson turned aside several point-blank chances while King's defenders cleared rebounds and blocked shots to seal the deal on the Monarchs' first victory of the campaign.
 
Stead, Sokol and Heinrich produced the three goals for King's while Vaughan finished the game with two assists, a team-high seven shots and 11 faceoff wins. Barlocker contributed 10 draws at the dot.
 
Fleury-Wright and Goner were noticeable presences in the defensive zone, blocking five and four shots, respectively. McPherson turned in a 53-save performance while Chowdhry stopped the lone shot she faced in temporary relief.
 
The Monarchs hit the road on Friday, January 23 to take on Arcadia University from the Hatfield Ice Arena. Puck drop against the Knights is slated for 6:00 p.m.