BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (January 12, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's ice hockey team battled NEWHA opponent Assumption University to a narrow 4-3 victory at the Bridgewater Ice Arena Friday night. With the win, the Skyhawks improve to 11-12 overall and 11-6 in conference play, while the Greyhounds dip to 6-16-1 overall and 6-10-1 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• Four different goal scorers propelled the Skyhawks offense to victory including, senior captain Paige Whaley, sophomore duo Lily Geist and Lucie Turcotte, as well as first-year Peyton Wise.
• Turcotte's goal proved to be the game-winner, marking her team-leading second of the season.
• Junior Josie Mendeszoon along with sophomore pairing Alexis Petford and Maddison Achtyl recorded assists on the night.
• Sophomore goaltender Eve Stone secured her fifth win of the season after stopping 39 shots in between the pipes for Stonehill.
• Junior classmates Kiersten Browning and Sheridan Terrazzano scored their respective third and eighth goals of the season.
• First-year Cassandra Johnson netted her first career goal for the Greyhounds.
• Junior netminder Carissa Mudrak made 32 saves in net for Assumption.

How it Happened

• Stonehill started the game strong, jumping to a 1-0 lead just over six minutes into the contest after Geist snuck a wrist shot from the slot past Mudrak in the net. 
• Stone and the Skyhawk's defense would have to stand tall on the defensive end of the ice, blocking five in front and stopping all 16 shots on goal to retain the Skyhawk's narrow one-goal advantage into the first intermission.
• Both sides came out of the break at a torrent pace, combining for four goals after the opening nine minutes of the second period.
• Assumption started the scoring just over one minute into the second period after Browning scored on the power play to tie the game up at 1-1.
• The Skyhawks would respond five minutes later with a power-play goal of their own after Whaley netted her team-leading eighth of the season.
• However, the Greyhounds would tie the game up at two apiece as Johnson scored her first career goal 90 seconds after Whaley gave the Skyhawks a 2-1 advantage on the board.
• Wise capped off the offensive onslaught of the middle frame, sniping a shot into the back of the cage at the 8:45 mark of the second period for her third goal of the season. 
• Assumption would capitalize on the skater advantage again at the 4:45 mark of the third period after sophomore Emma Gurnell and Terrazano connected to tie the game up at 3-3.
• Stonehill, continuing not to let the Greyhounds take the lead, would regain its one-goal advantage as Turcotte would go top-shelf past Mudrak 8:31 into the final frame of regulation. 
• First-year defender Pusle Dyring-Andersen blocked two shots over the final 20 seconds of the game to help Stone hold off the Greyhound's offense in net to secure the narrow 4-3 victory for the Skyhawks. 

Noteworthy

• Assumption outshot Stonehill 42-36, while the Skyhawks won the faceoff battle 46-34.
• Stone secured fifth win of the season and third four over her last five outings in net.
• Geist and Whaley each finished with a team-high six shots on goal.
• Wise now leads the first years on Stonehill's roster with three goals on the campaign.

Up Next

Stonehill (11-12-0, 11-6-0 NEWHA) rounds out its split two-game series against Assumption University tomorrow at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center. Puck drop between the Skyhawks and Greyhounds is set for 3:20 p.m.

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