FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team won their first game of the season on Friday night over Sacred Heart by a final score of 4-3. Four different goalscorers helped the Hawks overcome a two-goal deficit in their New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) opener.
UP NEXT
- Saint Anselm faces Sacred Heart again on Saturday, October 12th at 2:00 p.m. for their final matchup of the weekend.
Score: Saint Anselm 4, Sacred Heart 3
Records: Saint Anselm (1-2-0, 1-0-0); Sacred Heart (1-2-0, 0-1-0)
Location: Fairfield, Conn. (Martire Family Arena)
Date: Friday, October 11th, 2024
Attendance: 328
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Just over a minute into the game, Saint Anselm was given a power play following a hooking penalty called on Sacred Heart. However, the Hawks failed to take advantage and were only able to fire two shots on goal.
- Sacred Heart put together a strong start after killing off the penalty with two early goals in the first period. Sydney Antonakis and Ally Cohen scored 33 seconds apart to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead at the 5:27 mark.
- Over the next 10 minutes of action, both teams created scoring opportunities with the Hawks putting five shots on frame and the Pioneers putting four shots on goal. Senior goaltender Annabella Lalande (Lachute, Quebec, Canada) was able to turn aside each of those Sacred Heart attempts.
- With under five minutes remaining in the first, senior Tyra Turner (Andover, Minn.) put Saint Anselm on the board with her second goal of the season to make it a 2-1 game.
- 20 seconds after the goal, junior Ella Ridge (Chicago, Ill.) rang a shot off the post for the Hawks. Both teams were given late power plays, but neither ended up scoring as the first period ended with the score at 2-1 in favor of the Pioneers.
- Saint Anselm spent the first half of the second period on the man-advantage as Sacred Heart committed four separate penalties in the first 10 minutes. Despite 11 shots on goal, the Hawks were not able to equalize as Pioneers goaltender Jillian Petruno kept her team in the lead with several timely saves.
- Sacred Heart started to get back into rhythm late in the second period. The home team forced six more saves out of Lalande and limited their guests to just one shot on goal for the remainder of the period, but neither side found the back of the net and the score remained 2-1 entering the third.
- The Hawks put the Pioneers on their heels early in the final frame with three quick shots that all required saving. Their offensive pressure paid off and at the 4:45 mark in the third, junior Brooklyn Schneiderhan (Helena, Mont.) tied the score at 2-2 with an unassisted goal, her second tally of the season.
- Exactly 30 seconds later, the Hawks took the lead on a goal by sophomore Brenna Young (Wilmington, Mass.) off a feed from senior Gracee Donovan (Orchard Park, N.Y.), putting the Hawks ahead for the first time all game.
- The Pioneers looked to have regained control for the next few minutes with the majority of possession along with four faceoff wins and five shots on goal, but the Hawks scored again at the 9:54 mark of the period with Heather McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.) lighting the lamp for the first time of the year. Sophomore Hailey Tullo (Southwick, Mass.) delivered the assist on the play that helped Saint Anselm extend their lead to 4-2.
- Sacred Heart replaced Petruno with new goaltender Carly Greene after that. She was welcomed to the ice by six straight Saint Anselm shots on goal, but denied all of them to keep her team down by a pair.
- The Pioneers went on the power play with 5:30 remaining and about a minute into the man-advantage, Isabella Chaput made it a one-goal game with a marker that was assisted by former Hawk Savannah Popick.
- With about two minutes to play, Sacred Heart pulled their goalie for the extra skater. Saint Anselm was able to survive a late push with Lalande stopping five more shots and the defense getting in the way of three other shot attempts to seal the 4-3 win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Shots on goal were knotted up at 35 apiece. Saint Anselm held a slight 33-32 advantage in faceoffs.
- The Hawks produced 18 blocked shots, while the Pioneers registered 17.
- McAvoy, Schneiderhan, Turner, and Young notched one goal each in the game with Donovan and Tullo tabbing assists for Saint Anselm.
- Lalande picked up the win in goal and made 32 saves.
- The win marked the first in the head coaching career of Sam Ftorek '98 at Saint Anselm.
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