Senior captain Michaela Chiuccariello scored twice, her first two goals of the season, as Salve Regina blanked New England College, 6-0, at St. George's.
Senior captain Michaela Chiuccariello scored twice, her first two goals of the season, as Salve Regina blanked New England College, 6-0, at St. George's.

Another Saturday night shutout for Salve Regina, 6-0

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. - For the second consecutive Saturday, Salve Regina University women's ice hockey received a shutout performance from its goaltender. The Seahawks defeated the Pilgrims of New England College, 6-0, in ECAC Women's East action at St. George's Ice Arena.

The Pilgrims (0-6-0, 0-4-0 ECAC) are blanked for the third straight game and fourth time this season. Salve Regina (2-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) got its first win last Saturday when freshman Kelsey Baldwin (Ganesvoort, N.Y.) made 20 saves in a 3-0 final over Nichols. Tonight, sophomore Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.) also stopped all 20 shots she faced.

Salve Regina dominated New England College in shots, 64-20. Junior forward Kimberly Spring (Kensington, Conn.) scored her first goal of the season with 5:22 elapsed in the first period. She cleaned up a rebound after Pilgrim goaltender Lauren Hopps (Green Bay, Wisc.) initially stopped a shot from Danielle Phalon (Stoneham, Mass.).

The Seahawks outshot the visitors, 20-1, in the first period. New England College added eight more shots on Marcik in the second period, but the Seahawk netminder handled them all. Hopps went unscathed until midway through the middle period. Junior Cheyenne Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored her first goal of the season after taking the puck off the boards near her bench and skating in to lift it over Hopps.

Senior Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) put in a rebound after a face-off to the right of Hopps, a power-play goal with assists to Meredith Peppes (Lincoln, R.I.) and Sarah Markey (Ashland, Mass.).

Sophomore Amanda Cronin (Medfield, Mass.) added her second goal of the season, and second in two nights, when she beat Hopps on the glove side just under the cross bar; Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.) credited with the assist.

New England increased its shot total to 11 in the final period but Marcik was up to the task. Salve Regina had its lowest shot total of the game in the third (just 17) and managed to get two past Hopps. Chiuccariello added her second of the game, and second of the season, in the 15th minute of the period, assisted by Cronin and Grace Nardiello (Lake Placid, N.Y.).

Phalon finished the scoring with her team-leading third goal of the season at 17:29 in the third.

Salve Regina welcomes national runner-up Norwich University to Middletown on Friday (7:30 p.m.). The Pilgrims travel to Burrillville, R.I., to skate against the Bison on Friday.