Chiuccariello scores game-winner in final minutes as Seahawks defeat Bison, 2-1

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sophomore Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal with just 70 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Salve Regina women's ice hockey team to an exciting 2-1 victory over Nichols College during an ECAC Women's East matchup on Friday night at St. George's Ice Rink. With the win, the Seahawks improve to 5-2-0 overall and 3-2-0 in conference action, while the Bison slip to 2-3-0 on the year and 0-3-0 in the loop.

Nearly a period went by before either team found the back of the net. With 2:12 remaining in the first, sophomore Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) sent a centering pass to classmate Lisa Coskren (Norwood, Mass.) who scored on a backhanded shot. Exactly a minute earlier first-year netminder Nia Kelly (Cary, N.C.)  turned away a laser by sophomore Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.). Salve Regina held a 12-5 advantage in shots and went 0-for-2 on the power play. 

The hosts peppered Kelly with 16 shots in the second period including four during an extra man opportunity midway through the frame. Salve Regina evened the game with exactly a minute left in the stanza. Freshman Cheyenne Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz.) knocked home a rebound on a shot originally taken by senior Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.). Kelsey Lynch (Collegeville, Pa.) also received credit for a helper on the play. Nichols fired off four shots while Salve Regina once again went 0-for-2 with extra personnel. 

Kelly made a pair of saves early in the third to keep the game even at 1-1. The rookie turned away a shot 17 seconds into the period and made a stop with 17:01 showing on the scoreboard. Sophomore Michaela Chiuccariello  netted her fifth tally of the year when she deposited a rebound as junior Monika Borkowski (Ann Arbor, Mich.) collected an assist courtesy of the shot to setup the score. The hosts went 0-for-3 on the power play and outshot the Bison 15-3. 

Overall, Salve Regina held a 43-12 advantage on shots and finished 0-for-7 with extra personnel. 

Senior goaltender Ali Muehlbronner (Glenside, Pa.) moved to 5-2-0 on the season in the 11 save effort for the Seahawks. Kelly amassed 41 saves as she absorbed the defeat falling to 2-3-0. 

Both teams return to ECAC Women's East action tomorrow. Nichols heads into Worcester for a 7:30 p.m. appointment at Division I Holy Cross while Salve Regina entertains Manhattanville at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of Nichols Sports Information