Seahawks extend streak to six

WINCHENDON, Mass.  – The Salve Regina women's ice hockey team won its sixth straight game by scoring three power-play goals en route to a 4-2 decision versus Franklin Pierce in ECAC East play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Junior forward Danielle Phalon (Stoneham, Mass.) scored twice in the win. 

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 14-4-1 (8-3-0 ECAC East), while Salve Regina improves to 10-6-1 (8-3-0 ECAC East). For Franklin Pierce, it marked the program's first back-to-back losses since dropping games on Feb. 7 and 11 a year ago.

Five of the game's six goals were scored on the man-advantage on Saturday night, a trend which started just 4:18 into the proceedings, as Salve Regina struck for the first of its three power-play goals. The original shot on the play came from junior forward Kimberly Spring at the right point and was turned aside by Franklin Pierce junior goaltender Noelle White (Corona, Calif.). Senior forward Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) was the first to get to the rebound and touched a pass to senior forward Sarah Markey, who finished off her sixth of the season.

The remainder of the first period would go without further scoring before Salve Regina doubled the lead to 2-0 at 2:09 of the second stanza, with the night's only even-strength goal. Freshman defenseman Erica Bonnette-Lykens (Swanton, Mass.) sent a pass into the neutral zone for Phalon, who led a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive end. After she crossed the attacking blue line, she kept the puck herself, made a power move around the defenseman and scored her team-leading 12th goal of the campaign.

Franklin Pierce answered with a power-play tally at the 6:11 mark to cut the gap to 2-1. Junior forward Haylea Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) took the original shot from the right point, but was stymied by Salve Regina sophomore goaltender Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.). The rebound came on the right-wing side for Craig, who put home her third of the season from the bottom of the right circle. Sophomore forward Alysha Raimo (Fitchburg, Mass.) picked up an assist on the play as well.

Salve Regina reclaimed the two-goal lead with a 5-on-3 goal at 10:08. Spring fed a pass across the ice from the right point to senior forward Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.). The latter stepped into a shot at the top of the left circle and picked the top-left corner for her seventh score of the year.

The Seahawks pushed the lead as high as 4-1 with another power-play score at 4:09 of the third period. A shot from the right side by Markey was saved by White, but the rebound fell to Phalon in the left circle and she quickly put the puck to the back of the net to notch her third multiple-goal game of the season. Spring added an assist on the play as well.

Just over two minutes later, the Ravens picked up another power-play goal, Baker's team-leading 13th of the season, to cap the scoring and create the 4-2 final. Junior defenseman Sarah Sheils (Pittsburgh, Pa.) took the original shot from the right point. Marcik made the save on the drive, but left a big rebound out in front of the left side of the crease and Baker was on the scene to one-time the puck back into the net. Freshman forward Alex Brolsma (Bloomington, Minn.) added an assist on the game's final goal.

White finished with 33 saves against 37 shots and suffered her first loss of the season (9-1-0) in goal for Franklin Pierce. Marcik made 32 stops against 34 shots to pick up the win (9-5-1) in the crease for Salve Regina.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Feb. 6, when they travel to Norwich for an ECAC East contest. The Seahawks next host Manhattanville on February 6 at 7:30 for the second annual Epilepsy Awareness game at St. George's.