Salve Regina hosts Norwich at Boss Ice Arena this Friday

NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University women's hockey team will host defending Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) champion Norwich University this Friday, February 5, at Boss Ice Arena on the campus of the University of Rhode Island.

The Seahawks have won five of their last eight games (5-2-1) and are coming off a 3-2 win over conference foe Castleton State on Saturday night. Freshman Samantha Zitzer (River Forest, Ill.) scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 3.9 seconds remaining in regulation, to propel the Seahawks to victory.

The Cadets, meanwhile, are 3-1-1 in their last five games and are coming off a 6-0 win over Saint Michael's on Saturday. Six different student-athletes recorded goals for Norwich, and Sophie Leclerc, Julie Fortier, and Jacqueline Perez each had a goal and an assist.

On the season, freshman Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) leads the Seahawks with 12 points (4-8-12), including a team-high eight assists. Junior captain Molly Golden (Milton, Mass.) has a team-high seven goals. Sophomore Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.) holds a team-best .931 save percentage while freshman Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) is 7-0-0 with a 1.71 goals against average (GAA). Fortier leads Norwich with 15 goals and 24 points while Leclerc boasts a team-high 12 assists. In goal, Chiara Traversa is a perfect 8-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

The two teams met earlier this season in Norwich, and the Seahawks rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to earn a 4-4 tie. Last season, the two faced off in the ECAC Women's East Finals, and the Cadets left Playland Ice Arena in Rye, N.Y. with a 4-0 win and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Seahawks - fresh off their first-ever win over seven-time defending conference champion Manhattanville in the ECAC Semifinals less than 24 hours prior - were unable to motor past the Cadets, who outshot the Seahawks 37-15 on the afternoon. Brittane Michaud scored two goals and Melissa Rundlett dished out a pair of assists to lead Norwich.