HARTFORD, CT – The Nazareth University women's hockey team handed Trinity College their first home loss of the season on Friday night, with freshman Sofia Pittis scoring her first collegiate goal for the game-winner in the 2-1 upset victory.
 
Nazareth improves to 6-2-0 on the season, while Trinity drops to 6-2-0 overall.
 
The Bantams struck first six minutes into the game from a scramble off a defensive faceoff loss for the Golden Flyers and maintained the 1-0 lead throughout the first period despite multiple goal-scoring opportunities on either side of the ice.
 
Nazareth came back from the first intermission with all cylinders firing and strong offensive pressure led to a power play opportunity just two minutes into the period. Graduate student Julia Holmes collected the puck behind the Naz net and reserved the puck to d-partner Allie Zack who advanced the puck up to fellow sophomore Ella Cedrone. Cedrone possessed the puck through the neutral zone and, making her way to the high-slot, ripped a slapshot past the Bantam goalie for the game-tying goal.
 
Just over five minutes later, Pittis made a great play to roll off the left-side circle into the slot, where she ripped one into the net for the 2-1 lead and eventual game-winning goal. Classmate Amy Laskowski was credited with the assist for Pittis' first collegiate goal.
 
The remaining fifteen minutes of the second period contained lots of back-and-forth play, with Nazareth killing off three penalties and demonstrating the strength of their penalty-kill. 
 
The third period began in similar fashion, with both teams playing hard and fast, but Trinity was unable to get another one past graduate student goaltender McKinley Hoff, who ended the game with a season-high 30 saves on the night. The Nazareth team defense was also stand-out, with 20 blocked shots to Trinity's 11.
 
The Golden Flyers next play tomorrow, December 7, against another Connecticut NESCAC opponent in Wesleyan College at 3 p.m.