Seahawks pick up first win of 2010-11 season, down Beacons 5-3
BOSTON, Mass. - The Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team scored four goals in the final five minutes of the second period and then held off a furious third period comeback on the way to a 5-3 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston this afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center rink on the campus of UMass Boston.
Sophomore forward Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) highlighted the offensive barrage with back-to-back goals in a 1:24 span, while sophomore forward Samantha Zitzer (River Forest, Ill.) picked up a goal and an assist. With the decision, the Seahawks earned their first win of the season and their record now stands at 1-3, 1-2 in ECAC East play, while the Beacons fall to 1-3, 1-3.
Porter's first tally came at 18:12 of the second period when she collected a deflected pass from senior forward Molly Golden (Milton, Mass.) in front of the net and buried it past UMass Boston sophomore goalie Jami Cudmore (Balgonic Sask.). She then added her second score from just in front again but this time took the feed from Zitzer and beat Cudmore high to the glove side, extending the lead to 4-1. The goals were the first and second of the season for Porter.
Sophomore forward Caitlyn Farragher (Plymouth, Mass.) started Salve Regina's four-goal run at 15:02 of the second period when she netted her first of the season on a pass from freshman defenseman Monika Borkowski (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and junior forward Shannon Ellis (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Zitzer then gave the Seahawks a 2-1 lead at 16:24 when she hooked up with freshman forward Chelsea Smith (Getzville, N.Y.).
After a scoreless first frame, sophomore forward Alli Greenberg (Stoughton, Mass.) gave UMass Boston the 1-0 lead on the power play when she took a feed from senior defenseman Hannah Davis (Oakdale, Minn.) and senior forward Rachel Sousa (Woburn, Mass.) and found the back of the net for her first tally of the season.
After falling behind to close out the second period, the Beacons came out strong in the third and collected a pair of goals to cut the Seahawks' lead to 4-3 with 4:09 to play. Senior forward Rachel Sousa (Woburn, Mass.) potted her second off the season on a short-handed breakaway that was started by Greenberg at 12:25. Freshman forward Katie Fisher (Darien, Conn.) then earned her first career goal when she redirected a shot from senior defenseman Jazz Webber (Winslow, Maine). Salve Regina sophomore forward Melanie Sherlock (Colorado Springs, Colo.) spoiled the comeback bid, however, when she added an empty-netter with 21 seconds to play in the contest to seal the victory.
Junior goaltender Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.) made 28 saves to pick up her first victory of the season for the Seahawks, while Cudmore recorded 19 saves for the Beacons on the way to her first career loss.
The Beacons will be in action again Friday, November 19 at Saint Michaels at 4:00 p.m. in another ECAC East showdown. Salve Regina hosts Nichols the same day at 7:00 p.m. in a league match up, as well.
(Courtesy of UMass Boston sports information)