MANCHESTER, N.H. (January 21, 2023)- Five different goal scorers including Alexis Petford, who posted the program's first-ever hat trick, led the Stonehill College women's ice hockey team to an 8-3 win at Saint Anselm Saturday in New England Women's Hockey Alliance action.

Scoring

STO: Alexis Petford (Paige Whaley and Lily Geist), 13:30-1st period

       Katie Sonntag, 16:46-1st period

       Lily Geist (Josie Mendeszoon and Gracie Sacca), 02:05-2nd period

       Alexis Petford (Paige Whaley and Bailey Feeney), 03:46-2nd period

      Lily Geist (Lucie Turcotte and Gracie Sacca), 11:06-2nd period

      Alexis Petford (Paige Whaley), 01:09-3rd period

      Maddison Achtyl (Maeve Carey and Gracie Sacca), 06:33-3rd period

      Lucie Turcotte (Alexis Petford and Lily Barrett), 17:28-3rd period

STA: Gracie Bruno (Madi Ressler and Gracee Donovan), 16:08-2nd period

        Kelly Golinin (Tyra Turner and Audrey Jackson), 16:54-2nd period

        Tyra Turner, 09:40-3rd period

Goaltending

STO: Hanna Zukow (60:00)-30 saves

STA: Allie Kelley (60:00)- 30 saves

The Details

• As both sides played hard back and forth early in the first, at the 13:30 mark, Petford gave the Skyhawks the early 1-0 lead after Whaley found her open by the left face-off circle and fired a wrister past Kelley's glove side. A little over three minutes later, the squad added another goal courtesy of Sonntag when she raced past Hawks skaters after the puck broke free from the Stonehill face-off circle and flipped the puck past Kelley. 
• Early in the second, just 02:05 into the frame, Geist netted Stonehill's third goal when Mendeszoon swung the puck across one face-off circle to another as Geist fired a one-timer. The Skyhawk's offense continued their momentum and scored a little over a minute later when Whaley and Petford had a give-and-go play where Petford then put home a one-timer for her second goal of the afternoon. 
• Later in the frame, Geist put home her second goal of the day when Sacca from the blue line sent a touch pass over to Turcotte in the right face-off circle who then found an open Geist to put the pack past an out-of-position Kelley for a 5-0 Stonehill lead. Geist has now posted two goals in two of her last four games. However, Saint Anselm trimmed the deficit to three (5-2) after two goals from Bruno and Golini.
• Despite two late second-period goals from the Hawks, the Purple and White were not fazed as Petford completed the hat trick less than two minutes (01:09) into the third. Whaley swung the puck from Stonehill's end of the ice, ahead to Petford at center ice.  From there, Petford pushed ahead and put on a nice move to beat Kelley stick side. For Petford, it is her first career hat trick and the first hat trick scored in program history.  
• Stonehill tacked on another goal courtesy of Achtyl and pushed their lead to five (7-2) after Sacca set her up nicely for her career-high third assist in the game. Turner brought Saint Anselm within four later in the third but as the period approached the 20-minute mark, Turcotte netted the Skyhawks' eighth goal for the eventual 8-3 win. The squad's eight goals marked the fourth time this year Stonehill posted five or more goals and in each of those games, the Skyhawks are 4-0. 
• Zukow's 30 saves marked the seventh time this year she posted 30 or more saves.

Up Next

Stonehill continues their NEWHA road trip when the team travels to Post University for a two-game set starting on Friday, January 27 at 8 p.m.

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