Feeney scored the game-winning overtime goal to clinch the NEWHA Championship. (Photo Credit Andy Ferreira '99).

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (March 9, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's ice hockey team was crowned the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Champion after defeating Franklin Pierce, 3-2, in overtime Saturday night.

Highlights

• Sophomore duo of Alexis Petford and Kathryn Karo scored their sixth and 19th goals of the season, respectively.
• Sophomore Bailey Feeney lit the lamp on her 10th goal of the year and fourth of the postseason.
• Senior captain Paige Whaley and sophomore defender Sydney Russell registered assists on Feeney's overtime game-winning goal.
• Sophomore netminder Eve Stone stood tall all night to earn her 15th win of the season inside the crease, tallying 21 saves against the Ravens.
• Freshman Alexandra Cistolo and senior Jenna Ruiz scored their second and ninth goals of the season for Franklin Pierce, respectively.
• Sophomore goaltender Jill Hertl tallied 33 saves in between the pipes for the Ravens.

How it Happened

• In a battle of goaltenders throughout the opening 15 minutes of action with both Stone and Hertl silencing both offensive attacks, it would be the Skyhawks lighting the lamp first in the waning minutes of the opening frame.
• Petford poked a puck away from a Ravens defender at her own blue line and went on the breakaway, scoring an unassisted goal with just under two minutes left in the first, giving the Skyhawk a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
• Coming out of the first intermission, Franklin Pierce would waste little time knotting the game up at one after a wrist shot off the blue line from sophomore Sydnee Wilson was redirected into the back of the cage by Cistolo for her second goal of the season.
• At the 4:43 mark, just three minutes after the Ravens tied the game, Stonehill would respond as breakout passes from sophomore Maeve Carey and first-year student Peyton Wise made its way to Karo who potted a backhanded stuff in attempt past Hertl to regain the Skyhawk advantage.
• In the final minute of the second period, Franklin Pierce would bring the score to even once again off the stick of Ruiz for her ninth of the year.
• Despite outshooting Franklin Pierce 11-2 over the final 20 minutes of the regulation, Stonehill and the Ravens would take a 2-2 tie into overtime to decide the NEWHA championship.
• After a back-and-forth start to the extra frame, a too many skaters on the ice minor penalty would result in the Skyhawks' third power-play opportunity of the contest.

  Stone was named Most Outstanding Player for the NEWHA Postseason Tournament. (Photo Credit Andy Ferreira '99).

• Just 26 seconds into the skater advantage Whaley would send a slot pass from the goal line to Feeney in front who deflected a shot through the five-hole for the overtime game-winner, sending Stonehill into a celebration frenzy.

Quotable

• "Another gutsy win for the Skyhawks," said first-year head coach Lee-J Mirasolo. "They are a bunch of believers and I am so fortunate to coach this group. They did this. They earned this."

Noteworthy

• Stonehill outshot Franklin Pierce, 36-23, and won the faceoff battle over the Ravens, 35-22.
• Paving the way at the dot was Karo who won 90 percent (10-11) of her total draws on the night.
• Karo also finished with a game-high eight shots on goal, while Petford followed closely behind at five on net.
• The win marks the first NEWHA Championship for the Skyhawks in their two-years of existence.

Up Next

Stonehill (21-15-2, 17-9-2 NEWHA) will move on to the NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament for the first time in program history. The selection show will air live on ESPN News on Sunday at noon.

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