Geist leads the team with nine points in eight career games against Franklin Pierce. (Photo Credit Jim Pierce).

EASTON, Mass. (March 7, 2024) – The No. 3-seeded Stonehill College women's ice hockey program, in just its second season since being added as the College's 23rd intercollegiate sport, will compete for its first championship and NCAA Tournament bid when it hosts No. 5 Franklin Pierce University for the 2024 New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Championship at Bridgewater Ice Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The NEWHA Championship will be broadcast live on NEC Front Row with Charlie Bergeron and Chris Santos calling the action for SkyhawksVision. The broadcast can be accessed via stonehillskyhawks.com through its NEC Front Row portal (necfrontrow.com/schools/SC) or through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku via the NEC On the Run App.

"The team is fired up for Saturday," said Stonehill first-year head coach Lee-J Mirasolo. "Over the course of this year, they've prepared themselves for this moment and they'll be ready. Our team is full of believers and it's going to be an absolute battle – Franklin Pierce is playing its best hockey and they are relentless. It's going to be a fantastic hockey game and we hope to pack 'The Palace' on Saturday."

Stonehill (20-15-2, 17-9-2 NEWHA) cemented its spot in the championship after outlasting No. 2 seeded Saint Anselm, 3-2, in an overtime thriller on Saturday in the NEWHA Semifinals. The Skyhawks were tested early in the second period, trading goals with the Hawks over the opening ten minutes of the frame. Sophomore Bailey Feeney sent a gorgeous, backhanded shot top shelf from the right faceoff circle, tying the game up at two aside.

After a scoreless third period, the game would be decided in a sudden death overtime with both sides vying for a spot in the championship game. Back-to-back minor penalties from Saint Anselm in the extra frame gave the Skyhawks excellent scoring chances as they peppered the Hawks netminder with 18 shot attempts over a five-minute span. Sophomore Alexis Petford, an All-NEWHA first team selection for the second-straight year, scored the overtime winner on the power-play after receiving a slot pass from sophomore Maddison Achtyl, sending the Skyhawks to the title game for the first time in the team's brief history.

Stonehill continued its dominant presence at the faceoff circle winning 40-of-64 (.625) draws against Saint Anselm. Paving the way at the dot was senior captain Paige Whaley who accounted for 16 of the teams 40 faceoff wins on the night.

Sophomore goaltender Eve Stone continued her stellar season inside the crease for Stonehill, standing tall in net for 75 minutes against Saint Anselm with 36 saves, including a pair of highlight-reel stops in overtime to keep the contest knotted at two. Stone ranks among the top goalies in the NEWHA with a .929 save percentage in Conference play and an overall 2.21 goals against average. Stone, named NEWHA Goaltender of the Week once this season, is the program's leader in single-season (3) and career shutouts (5) after her two-straight clean sheets against Post University on January 5-6.

Stonehill killed off five of Saint Anselm's six power play opportunities last weekend and ranks tenth nationally on the kill at 88.5-percent (131-148), chipping in three shorthanded goals – two off the stick of Achtyl – to rank tied for 12th in the nation. Petford and Whaley come in towards the top of the NCAA leaderboards for power-play goals with seven (8th) and five (17th), respectively.

Stonehill and Franklin Pierce will meet for the ninth time over the Skyhawks first two seasons – the first in postseason play. The Skyhawks hold a 6-2 advantage in the series over the Ravens, taking three of the four meetings during 2023-24 campaign. Sophomore Lily Geist has led the Skyhawks offensively over her eight career games against Franklin Pierce with nine points off six goals and three assists. This season, Geist has tallied five points with three goals and two assists against the Ravens. In games played at the Bridgewater Ice Arena between the two, Stonehill holds a 5-3 edge in all-time series against Franklin Pierce.

Stone ranks amongst the top goaltenders in the NEWHA with a 2.21 GAA and .929 save percentage in conference play. (Photo Credit Jim Pierce).

Franklin Pierce (18-15-1, 14-13-1 NEWHA) won its NEWHA Semifinal matchup against top-seeded and defending champions, LIU on Saturday. The Ravens rallied from a 3-1 deficit with just over two minutes to play in regulation as sophomore Grace Schuck completed her first career hat trick with two goals with the goaltender pulled in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime. Sophomore goaltender Jill Hertl stood tall in the crease keeping the Sharks off the board through a back-and-forth battle, before the Ravens scored the game winner off the stick of senior Claire Casey with 2:34 remaining in overtime after a second chance stuff-in attempt made its way over the goal line to secure the 4-3 comeback victory and send the Ravens to the NEWHA Championship for the second time in program history.

The Franklin Pierce offense has been led by four 20+ point scorers, including junior Mikayla Kelley (23), senior Emilie Prive (21), sophomore Anna Caumo (20), and senior Jenna Ruiz (20). On the defensive end, Franklin Pierce ranks just behind Stonehill nationally on the penalty kill at 88.3-percent. Hertl leads the NEWHA with a 1.91 goals against average and a .944 save percentage over 24 appearances.

In addition to earning the NEWHA Championship, Saturday's winner will earn the Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA National Collegiate Women's Hockey Championship. The selection show will air live on ESPN News on Sunday at noon.

2024 NEWHA CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by higher seeds throughout

Quarterfinals
(Best-of-Three series)

Friday, February 23
No. 1 LIU 3, No. 8 Saint Michael's 2
No. 2 Saint Anselm 2, No. 7 Post 1
No. 3 Stonehill 3, No. 6 Assumption 2
No. 5 Franklin Pierce 3, No. 4 Sacred Heart 1

Saturday, February 24
No. 1 LIU 3, No. 8 Saint Michael's 0 (LIU wins series, 2-0)
No. 7 Post 2, No. 1 Saint Anselm 1

No. 3 Stonehill 3, No. 6 Assumption 1 (STO wins series, 2-0)

No. 5 Franklin Pierce 2, No. 4 Sacred Heart 0 (FPU wins series, 2-0)

Sunday, February 25
No. 2 Saint Anselm 6, No. 7 Post 1 (STA wins series, 2-1)

Semifinals
Saturday, March 2
No. 3 Stonehill 3, at No. 2 Saint Anselm 2 (OT)
No. 5 Franklin Pierce 4, at No. 1 LIU 3 (OT)

NEWHA Championship
Saturday, March 9
(Bridgewater Ice Arena)
No. 5 Franklin Pierce at No. 3 Stonehill, 3 p.m.

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