Smelker has two goals as Boston beats Connecticut for second straight week

Connecticut’s Cydney Roesler (21) scored her first goal of the season Saturday in a 3-2 NWHL loss to Boston.

BOSTON, March 3 – Jordan Smelker had two goals while former Whale forward Dana Trivigno had two assists to lead the Boston Pride to a 3-2 National Women’s Hockey League win over the Connecticut Whale Saturday at Warrior Ice Arena – the practice facility for the NHL’s Boston Bruins.

The Pride (4-7-4) beat the Whale (3-10-2) for the second straight week. The Pride shutout Connecticut, 3-0 a week ago in Stamford.

Goals from Smelker and Jillian Dempsey gave Boston a 2-0 lead after one period. The Whale cut the lead to one on leading scorer Emily Fluke’s fourth goal of the season early in the second period. But Smelker and the Pride extended the lead to two goals, 3-1, less than two minutes later.

The Whale cut the lead to one goal with a third period score from Cydney Roesler but Pride goalie Brittany Ott stood tall in the third period, stopping all 12 Whale shots to give Boston the victory.

Fluke has a team-leading 11 points after 15 games for Connecticut with four goals and a team-high seven assists. Veteran Kelly Babstock (4-5, 9 points) also has four goals on the year.

Rookie Sam Donovan from Brown made her NWHL debut with Connecticut in the game. Donovan was the No. 5 selection in the 2017 NWHL draft and her collegiate season with Brown ended earlier this month. The 5-foot-2 forward was the leading scorer for Brown this winter with 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists). The Bruins were 2-27.

In four years with Brown, Donovan scored 36 goals and had 32 assists for 68 points in 116 games.

“Sam is a player we have felt very strongly about for a long period of time, and are excited to welcome her to the Pod,” said Whale head coach Ryan Equale. “She possesses the speed, scoring touch and hockey IQ that we look for in our players.”

The Whale complete the regular season next week when they host first place Metropolitan (12-3) at the Terry Connors Rink in Stamford.

Boston 3, Connecticut 2
At Boston
Connecticut (3-10-2)             0  1  1  — 2
Boston (4-7-4)                        2  1  0  — 3
First period
Boston 1, Jordan Smelker (Dana Trivigno, Janine Weber), 6:05; Boston 2, Jillian Dempsey (Mary Parker, Emily Field), 18:51; Penalties: Corey Stearns (B) interference
Second period
Connecticut 1, Emily Fluke (Emma Greco, Rachael Ade), 5:11; Boston 3, Jordan Smelker (Trivigno, Weber), 7:06; Penalties: none
Third period
Connecticut 2, Cydney Roesler, 14:31; Penalties: Lexi Bender (B) body checking, 3:18; Kelly Babstock (CT), tripping, 19:20; Cydney Roesler (CT), tripping, 19:56
Shots: Boston 15 (6-7-2), Connecticut 28 (10-6-12)
Power play: Boston 0-2, Connecticut 0-2
Goalies: Connecticut, Sydney Rossman (L, 3-10-2) 15 shots, 12 saves; Boston, Brittany Ott (W, 4-7-4) 28 shots, 26 saves