RUTLAND, Vt. – The Castleton women's hockey team battled in their matchup against No. 3 Elmira College Saturday afternoon, holding the conference's top-scoring team without a goal through the first 50 minutes before falling 1-0 in front of the home fans.
 
Kirsten DiCicco was excellent in net for the Spartans (10-9-2, 8-6-1 NEHC), saving 27 of the 28 shots she faced including several impressive stops, but let one slip past in the final period that proved to be the difference-maker in a defensive showcase.
 
Neither side got too many good looks in the opening period, with each team taking just four shots, but it was the Soaring Eagles turning up the heat in the second frame.
 
After Castleton was able to kill a powerplay carrying over from the first, Elmira (19-2-1, 15-0-0 NEHC) outshot the Spartans 11-3 in the remainder of the period, getting multiple good looks on net that DiCicco turned away. The best chance for either team, however, came from Castleton just over 16 minutes into the period.
 
Courtney Gauthier intercepted the puck in the neutral zone and beat a Soaring Eagles defender, creating a two-on-one with Nancy Benedict headed toward goal. The graduate student played with the puck before rifling a shot that was saved by Elmira's goaltender, keeping it a level game heading into the final frame.
 
The Soaring Eagles once again controlled play for the majority of the third period before finally breaking through at the 10:44 mark, winning a faceoff in their own zone and working the puck down the ice before Mary McCafferty sent a shot into the top corner to give Elmira the lead.
 
The Spartans pulled DiCicco with 1:20 left on the clock but were unable to get a shot on net, resulting in the tough 1-0 loss.
 
Castleton hosts Johnson & Wales University Monday, Feb. 7 in their home finale, with puck drop scheduled for 4:00 p.m.