Simmons earns shutout in 2-0 win over Cardinals

Simmons stopped all 26 shots she faced on Tuesday
Simmons stopped all 26 shots she faced on Tuesday

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Senior netminder Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.) tallied 26 stops to post her ninth career shutout and first of 2011-12, as the Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team defeated Wesleyan University by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday evening. The Seahawks are now 4-1-2 in their past seven games, improving to 6-4-2 on the year. Wesleyan fell to 2-11 with its seventh straight defeat.

Freshman Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.) broke a scoreless tie just 1:05 into the second period, on the visitors' second shot of the frame. Markey corralled a loose puck in front of the crease and flipped it over the shoulder of Wesleyan junior netminder Nikki Bonneau (Williston, Vt.) for her fifth goal. That would be the only blemish on the night for Bonneau, who was making her first start of the season, as she stopped 31 of 32 shots on the night.

Salve Regina added an empty-netter with eight seconds remaining, as senior Jen Thiesing (Sandwich, Mass.) sent the puck from the Seahawks' defensive zone into an empty net for her third goal of the year.

Salve Regina held a 33-26 edge in shots in the contest, including a 12-8 cushion in the first period, in which Salve limited Wesleyan to one shot during five-on-five play.

Wesleyan hits the ice again Friday night in Brunswick, Maine, with the first game of a back-to-back NESCAC weekend at Bowdoin College. Salve Regina travels to Holy Cross on Saturday for an ECAC East battle in its next action.

Courtesy of Wesleyan Sports Information