Seahawks skate past Spartans for 4-1 victory

RUTLAND, Vt. – Salve Regina University scored a pair of short-handed goals in the third period to seal a 4-1 win over Castleton State College Saturday afternoon during an ECAC Women's East contest at Spartan Arena.

Salve Regina improves to 8-5-3 overall and 4-4-2 during conference play, while Castleton has now lost five-straight, dropping to 6-10 on the season and 5-5 in ECAC East play.

Samantha Zitzer (River Forest, Ill.), Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.), Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.), and Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) each lit the lamp for the Seahawks, while Jade Werger (Maple Ridge, B.C.) scored Castleton's lone marker.

Zitzer and Markey staked the Seahawks to an early lead, both scoring power-play goals inside the five-minute mark. Shannon Coleman (Chicago, Ill.) laced a shot on net that Castleton goalie Katharyn Dembowski (Elkridge, Md.) turned away but Zitzer pounced on the loose puck and stuffed it home at the 2:18 mark. Markey made it 2-0 less than two minutes later, collecting a rebound off a Porter shot and potting what proved to be the game-winner.

After a scoreless second frame, Werger sliced the lead in half at the 4:59 mark of the third period, sending home her 10th goal of the season. Kaitlin Hayes (Burlington, Vt.) slid a pass in front of the net that was poked away by Seahawk goalie Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.), but right onto Werger's stick for the goal.

With the Spartans on the power-play, Salve Regina snuffed out any momentum Castleton may have had, as Shepard intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated in for the shorthanded tally.

Porter tacked on an empty-netter with 27 seconds left to put the game on ice.

Dembowski finished with 41 saves, including 19 during a sluggish first period for the Spartans. Simmons stopped 11 shots in the win.

Castleton returns to the ice next Saturday at Saint Michael's at 1 p.m., while the Seahawks host Southern Maine next Friday at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of Castleton State Sports Information