Seahawks fall 7-3 to Crusaders on opener

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina women's ice hockey team drops their first game of the 2014-15 season 7-3 to Holy Cross on Friday evening.

It was a one goal game midway through the second period as Salve Regina had scored to get on the board after trailing 2-0 in the first. However the Crusaders would score five unanswered goals to blow open the game. The Seahawks scored two goals late in the third period but the six-goal deficit was too much to overcome.

Francesca Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) go things started for the Crusaders scoring off a Salve Regina turnover near the midway point of the first period. The puck was trapped against the boards inside the Seahawks zone and Panarelli was able to squeeze it free and turn towards the net to fire a wrist shot past freshman goaltender Kelsey Baldwin (Ganesvoort, N.Y.) for the 1-0 lead.

Early on the Seahawks played solid defense in front of Baldwin, keeping shots from reaching her and moving pucks to the boards and out of the zone. However the Crusaders team speed began to wear down the Seahawks. As the first period wore on the Seahawks were not able to effectively clear the zone and the Crusaders capitalized, keeping pucks alive and finding players open in the slot on passes from the wing or behind the net. Jessica Frascotti (Needham, Mass.) scored the second goal of the game for Holy Cross when Kate Reilly (Natick, Mass.) centered a pass from behind the net for a point blank look and a 2-0 lead at the end of one period.

The Seahawks started the second period on the penalty kill, eventually a 5-3, but came out with a lot of energy and outshot the Crusades during that sequence despite being shorthanded. The offense was the best defense in that situation.

The ice had seemed to tilt slightly in Salve Regina's favor to that point but then the Crusaders answered with a flurry of goals to stun the Seahawks.

Panarelli, who had started the Crusaders scoring in the first, scored an unassisted goal when she chipped the puck off the glass to herself behind the net, then cycled in front uncontested for a wrist shot goal at 11:29 of the second period. Then Nicole Giannino (Bay Shore, N.Y.) took a feed from Izzy Bagi (Branford, Conn.) in a 2-1 rush after a turnover at the blue line for Salve Regina and lifted a shot past the shoulder of Baldwin to the back of the net at 14:55.  65 seconds later Kara Violette (Biddeford, Maine) scored on a fancy toe-drag and forehand-backhand shot on a 1-1 situation with Baldwin to make it 5-1. Then at 16:26 Mary Kilmasewski (Cochester, Conn.) snapped a shot past Badlwin and the Crusaders led 6-1.

The Crusaders would tack on another goal midway through the third period from Kilmasewski off another Salve Regina turnover inside their own zone.

The Seahawks did not go away however and were able to score two quick goals to keep things exciting with eight minutes and change left to play. Captain Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.) tipped home a shot from Shepherd on the power play, then Britani Dunbar (Swampscott, Mass.) flipped home a rebound opportunity to make it 7-3 with 8:54 to play in the third period.

The Seahawks, now 0-1-0 after their first game will have a quick turnaround as they play the very next night, Saturday November 8 at home. The Seahawks will welcome Nichols to the St. George's rink at 7:30 p.m.

The Crusaders improve to 3-0-0 on the season will enjoy a week off before hosting Saint Anselm on November 14 at 7 p.m.