Chiuccariello hat-trick powers Seahawks to 7-1 win

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Senior captain Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) recorded her third career hat-trick as the Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team defeated SUNY Canton 7-1 Friday night.

Chiuccariello scored the Seahawks first goal of the game at 10:23 of the first period, tipping home a drive from Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.) on the powerplay. 

Brianna D'Avolio (Reading, Mass.) would tack on another goal 49 seconds later when she corralled her own rebound and lifted it past Kangaroo netminder Rebecca DiNardo (Ottawa, Ontario.) for the 2-0 lead.

The Seahawks would strike twice more in the period getting goals from Megan Geier (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Danielle Phalon (Stoneham, Mass.) to chase DiNardo.

The teams would trade powerplays and scoring chances in the second period but it remained a 4-0 Seahawks advantage heading into the third period.

D'Avolio scored once again, going five-hole on Peyton Stafne (St. Louis Park, Minn.) at 10:18 of the third to make it 5-0 but the visitors responded quickly. Lora Ardoin was all alone to knock in a rebound that had slipped through Salve Regina goaltender Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.) for the Kangaroos only score of the night. 

Chiuccariello would add two more goals in the third, including a short handed goal where she stole the puck behind the SUNY Canton net and walked her way to the front, deking past Stafne for the score to create the 7-1 margin.

Salve Regina outshot SUNY Canton 62-14 including a dominant 24-1 in the first period.

Salve Regina has now won five straight and six of seven since the new year to improve to 9-6-1 on the season.

Meanwhile SUNY Canton drops its third straight and falls to 2-19-1 overall. The Kangaroos are back in action on Tuesday when the team visits SUNY Cortland at 7 p.m.

Salve Regina will play on the road this Saturday, January 31 at 5 p.m. versus Franklin Pierce as the Seahawks return to ECAC action.