MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team scored twice in the third period to secure a 5-4 victory over visiting Saint Michael's College on Saturday in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play.
Saint Anselm improves to 50-0-3 in the all-time series against Saint Michael's and owns a 13-15-4 overall on the season. The Hawks also snagged two more points in the NEWHA standings, moving to 12-6-4 versus the conference in a pursuit to lock up the second seed.
Saint Michael's (1-21-3, 1-16-3 NEWHA) exploded for four goals, the second-most it has scored in a game this season, and built up a 4-3 advantage through two periods. It was the Hawks, however, that pulled away in the third period, firing 29 shot attempts and finding the net twice.
Freshman Brooklyn Pancoast (Helena, Mont.) tied the game at four just 6:30 into the period, one-timing a feed from sophomore Tyra Turner (Andover, Minn.) below the goal line to draw the contest even. Turner scored the go-ahead goal with under 10 minutes left, firing a shot toward goal that deflected off a Saint Michael's defender and in.
Junior Abigail Blair (Grand Island, N.Y.) started the scoring just 2:24 into regulation, one-timing a pass from senior Margaret Sullivan (Burlington, Mass.) to put the hosts up by one goal. The Hawks went ahead by a 2-0 score just over 13 minutes later as graduate student Kelly Golini (Tewksbury, Mass.) jammed the puck home at the right post, extending a point streak to six games (2-7=9).
Golini is now tied with Tiffany Herron '15 for fifth all-time with 111 points as she owns 55 goals with 56 assists (55-56=111) in 124 career contests.
Saint Michael's halved the deficit just 21 seconds later, sparking a three-goal run by the Purple Knights that catapulted them into the lead, 3-2, near the midway point of the second stanza.
Junior Claire Weber (Marshfield, Mass.) tied the game for Saint Anselm just 50 seconds after the Purple Knights took the lead, picking the top-right corner on the Saint Michael's netminder. The lead was not held for long, as the guests needed just 1:11 to take a 4-3 lead in the second period.
Sophomore Audrey Jackson (Shoreview, Minn.) had a solid all-around game for the Hawks, assisting on two of her team's goals and was one of three Saint Anselm student-athletes with a plus-two on-ice rating.
Senior Allie Kelley (East Berne, N.Y.) drew the start in goal for the Hawks, conceding four goals on 30 shots to earn the victory. Annika Lavender made 45 saves for Saint Michael's, yielding five goals in defeat.
Saint Anselm will enjoy a lengthy layoff, returning to play Friday, Feb. 17 for a 7 p.m. showdown with Post at Sullivan Arena. The Hawks celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.
