PITTSTON, PA – The Wilkes University women's ice hockey team competed in its first-ever NCAA game Friday afternoon, coming out strong in a 3-1 hard-fought defeat to King's College at the Revolution Ice Centre.

Kendall Castro (Killingworth, CT/) scored the first goal in Wilkes women's ice hockey history to pull the Colonels to within one goal at the 9:16 mark of the third period. She hammered home a one-timer from in front of the Monarchs goal off a pass from the right corner from Ashley Murry (Morgantown, PA/). Shauna Tubbs (Maumee, OH/) picked up the second assist on the play.

Wilkes recorded the first shot of the game 1:11 into the first period when Cally Erickson (Carbondale, CO/) was stopped by the King's net minder Kiva Sierra Stoltz. Ally Joly (Lincoln, RI/) drew the start at goaltender for the Colonels and made her first career save at the 1:50 mark.

King's was able find the net for the game's first goal when the Monarchs converted on their second straight power play opportunity. Joly made an initial save before Margaret Gould slid in a rebound chance.

At the end of the first period in program history, the Colonels held an 8-7 shots on goal advantage and a 14-8 lead in the faceoff circle. Joly made six first period saves.

The two sides played a scoreless second period but it did not come without a fair share of chances for each team. Wilkes had six power play opportunities over the second 20 minutes of action but were unable to find the net.

Joly made two saves in the period to keep the score at 1-0. Alexa Rango (Hopewell Junction, NY/) replaced Joly in net for the Colonels at the 8:40 mark of the second period to play the second half of the contest. Rango was tested early and was up to the task with her first career save at the 10:08 mark. She made three total saves in the second period.

At the end of the second period Wilkes held a 15-12 lead in shots on goal but King's clung to its 1-0 lead.

The Monarchs struck for a goal on a delayed penalty call when Raeann Clancey found herself in on a clear breakaway to take a 2-0 lead at the 6:53 mark of the third period.

Wilkes responded by killing the penalty on the strength of four saves by Rango. Just 23 seconds after getting back to even strength the Colonels connected for the first goal in program history to cut the score to 2-1 in favor of King's with 10:44 left in the game. Just after Castro's goal, Wilkes kept the pressure on but Stoltz made five saves over the next 3:15 of action.

King's was able to execute a 2-on-1 breakaway at the 14:45 mark to take a 3-1 lead. Rango made the first save on Josee Aitken's shot but Kellie Munro stuffed in the rebound out front.

Rango made 16 saves in the third period to bring her total to 19 for the game. Joly finished with eight saves over the first 28:40 of action. Stoltz made 25 saves for the Monarchs.

King's ended the game with a 30-26 advantage in shots on goal and 34-32 edge in face offs won. Laurenne Fraser (Salt Lake City, UT/) was above .500 in the faceoff circle for the game at 15-13 while Murry was 14-14.

Wilkes went 0-10 on the power play while King's was 1-4.

Murry led Wilkes with six shots on goal. Tubbs had five, Castro, Fraser, and Erickson had four, while Laura Brezinski (Ellicott City, MD/) added three.

The Colonels return to the ice for their inaugural home game at the Toyota SportsPlex on Sunday when they host Oswego State at 3:30 p.m.