BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The No. 5 seed Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team pulled out a 4-3 win against No. 4 seed Stonehill in game two of their New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Quarterfinal series on Saturday night. Senior
Tyra Turner (Andover, Minn.) and junior
Brooklyn Schneiderhan (Helena, Mont.) each had a goal and an assist to help the Hawks even the series and force a decisive game three.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm takes on Stonehill in a winner-take-all game three of the NEWHA Quarterfinal series on Sunday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in Bridgewater, Mass.
Score: Saint Anselm 4, Stonehill 3
Records: Saint Anselm (11-18-7); Stonehill (14-18-5)
Location: Bridgewater, Mass. (Bridgewater Ice Arena)
Date: Saturday, March 1st, 2025
Attendance: 158
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Saint Anselm came out firing with five of the game's first six shots on goal within the opening 2:30. Stonehill netminder Alexsa Caron stopped all five shots, but the Hawks were buzzing early on.
- Just over three minutes into the contest, Turner got the puck along the end boards and drove towards the front of the cage. Her shot beat Caron low and gave the Hawks the lead.
- Three minutes after that, the visitors doubled their advantage after Schneiderhan lit the lamp for the second time in the series. She blocked a shot at the point and quickly took the puck the other direction. The junior finished with a shot into the top left corner on the breakaway, which made it a 2-0 game.
- Over the final 13 minutes of the first, the two teams combined for 24 more shots on goal. Junior goaltender Ava Hills (Pembroke, N.H.) made 14 saves for the Hawks during that span to keep her team ahead by a pair going into the second period.
- 2:23 into the second period, Saint Anselm scored their third goal of the evening. The Hawks pinned their opposition in deep and freshman Nicola Forth (Schwenksville, Pa.) came away with the puck behind the cage. She played a pass out in front to freshman Lucy DeCoteau (Canton, N.Y.), who finished with a one-timer at the top of the crease that made it 3-0.
- Stonehill responded well and outshot Saint Anselm over the next 10 minutes, 10-2, but Hills kept the Skyhawks off the board with some key stops.
- The Skyhawks finally broke through with 20 seconds left in the second. Josie Mendeszoon stole the puck behind the goal in her team's offensive zone and beat Hills with an unexpected wrap-around shot, which made it 3-1 heading into the final frame.
- A little more than five minutes into the third, the Hawks increased their lead back up to three goals. Senior Audrey Jackson (Shoreview, Minn.) won an offensive zone faceoff that led to a wrist shot by Turner. Caron made the save for the Skyhawks, but the puck leaked through her pads and Jackson pushed it across the goal line, making it a 4-1 score.
- Stonehill answered right away with a goal just over a minute later. Seina Spadone ripped a shot through traffic that found the back of the net and trimmed the deficit back down to two goals for the Skyhawks.
- With under eight minutes remaining, the Skyhawks went on the power play after a Hawks player was called for a cross checking penalty. The home team needed just 18 seconds on the 5-on-4 situation as Gracie Sacca blasted a long range slapshot into the top right corner, which made it 4-3.
- Stonehill doubled up Saint Anselm in shots on goal, 8-4, over the final seven minutes of the game. The Skyhawks also pulled their goalie for the extra skater with less than two minutes to go, but the Hawks held on to force a decisive game three in the series.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Stonehill outshot Saint Anselm in the game, 51-39. The Skyhawks posted 17 shots on frame in all three periods, while the Hawks fired 19 pucks on net in the opening frame.
- Schneiderhan led the Hawks with eight shots on goal. Maddison Achtyl and Maeve Connolly both finished with six shots on goal to lead the Skyhawks.
- Saint Anselm got out to a 3-0 lead after two early goals in the first period and another in the second. Stonehill scored with 20 seconds left in the second to make it 3-1, but Saint Anselm added an insurance goal to regain their three-goal cushion. The Skyhawks tried to mount a late comeback and scored twice more in the final period, but ultimately fell short.
- The Skyhawks held a slight edge in the faceoff circle with 44 wins out of 81 attempts (54.3 percent). The Hawks won the remaining 37 out of 81 (45.7 percent) at the dot.
- DeCoteau led the Hawks with 12 faceoff wins out of 18 attempts (66.7 percent). Kathryn Karo went 18 for 27 on draws (66.7 percent) to lead the Skyhawks.
- On the defensive side, Stonehill blocked 11 shots in the contest, while Saint Anselm blocked five shots. Achtyl led the home team with a game-high three blocks.
- Stonehill scored once and had seven shots on goal during three power play opportunities. Saint Anselm was held scoreless despite five shots on goal during three power play chances.
- Schneiderhan and Turner led the Hawks with a goal and an assist apiece. DeCoteau and Jackson also scored for the visitors.
- Mendeszoon, Sacca, and Spadone each scored a goal for the Skyhawks, while three other skaters picked up an assist.
- Hills made 48 saves in goal for the Hawks and earned her fifth win of the season. Caron made 35 stops in goal for the Skyhawks and earned the loss.
- This marked the 16th all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Stonehill. The Hawks improve to 7-6-3 in the series that began in 2022.
STAY CONNECTED:
