Salve Regina edges Plymouth State

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – A power play goal by junior Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.) in the first minute of the third period proved to be the difference Saturday afternoon as Salve Regina University edged Plymouth State University, 3-2, in an Eastern College Athletic Conference Women's East ice hockey contest at Hanaway Rink.

Markey's goal gave Salve a 4-2 lead, but the Seahawks had to hold off a strong PSU third-period rally. The Panthers had a 14-9 advantage in shots in the period and senior Meghan Cassidy (Somerville, N.J.) tallied her second goal of the game with just under nine minutes to play, but PSU could not manage the tying goal.

The Seahawks, 4-0-1 in their last five games, improved to 11-5-3 overall and 6-4-0 in the ECAC East, while PSU suffered its second straight tough one-goal loss and fell to 3-14-1 overall and 1-8-1 in conference play.

The Panthers jumped on the board first when Cassidy scored her second of the season on a power play six minutes into the game. Senior Stephanie Newmark (Sydney, Australia) fired a shot from the point and Cassidy deflected the puck through the goalie's pads. Salve evened the score a little more than two minutes later when sophomore Shelby Johnson (Sterling, Mass.) poked a loose puck through a scramble in front of the net for her third of the season, and it was tied 1-1 after one period.

Freshman Amanda Cronin (Medfield, Mass.) gave the Seahawks their first lead of the day midway through the second period, collecting a rebound after classmate Kayla Smith(Woburn, Mass.) rang a shot off the cross bar; Cronin tossed the puck into the net for her fifth of the season.

Sophomore Kelsey Lynch (Collegeville, Pa.) made a nifty move for PSU to tie the scoreat 2-2 with six minutes left in the middle period. Lynch got a pass in the slot from junior Cortney Sollows (West Barnstable, Mass.), danced around the defense and flipped the puck over the goalie's pad for her second of the season. Salve came right back just 10 seconds later to regain the lead as junior Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.) fed classmate Michaela Chiuccariello(Winchester, Mass.) in the slot from the right corner, and Chiuccariello pounded home her eighth goal of the season.

Markey tallied her goal on a rebound just 45 seconds into the third period for the eventual game-winner. Cassidy's second of the game and third of the season cut the deficit to one at 11:19, but that's as close as the Panthers would get.

PSU senior goalie Ali Ponte (Richmond Hill, Ont.) made 34 saves in the PSU net, while Salve sophomore Mariah Mosher (Auburn, Maine) earned the win at the other end with a 23-save effort.

After playing seven straight home games, PSU hits the road next weekend for games at Saint Michael's College on Friday and Norwich University on Saturday. Salve returns home to host New England College on Friday and Castleton State College on Saturday.