Seahawks blank Purple Knights, 4-0

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team (1-6-0, 1-6-0 ECAC East) suffered its third straight lost, 4-0, to Salve Regina University (5-2-1, 4-1-1 ECAC East) in conference action on Friday evening at Cairns Arena's lower rink (Rink #2).

For the Seahawks, freshman Melanie Sherlock (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored her first two collegiate goals, while junior Molly Golden (Milton, Mass.) added a goal and an assist. Sophomore Drew Chernisky (Valley View, Ohio) also scored, while sophomore Kristen Aiello (Braintree, Mass.) and freshmen Mary Fusco (Enfield, Conn.) and Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) each earned assists. Sophomore Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.) turned aside all 26 shots she faced for the shutout.

For the Purple Knights, junior Alysia Goldman (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Hebron Academy) recorded 33 saves on 37 shots.

Salve Regina opened the scoring 5:33 into the contest, as Golden wrapped around the net and stuffed a shot past Goldman for her fifth goal of the season, with Fusco contributing her first collegiate assist. The goal proved to be all that the Seahawks would need, but the visitors doubled their lead with 2:49 left in the period, as Sherlock took advantage of the Purple Knights' third penalty of the period to net an unassisted power-play goal, her first collegiate score.

Neither team could score in the second period, although the Seahawks had two prime chances to increase their lead to 3-0 while on a power play midway through the frame. However, wristers by sophomores Jen Thiesing (Sandwich, Mass.) and Kathleen Roche (Boston, Mass.) hit the left pipe 15 seconds apart.

Salve Regina struck again 1:28 into the third period, as Sherlock converted on a rebound attempt, with Golden and Aiello notching assists. Simmons took over for the remainder of the period, as she stopped 10 shots in the frame, including a breakaway attempt by Saint Michae's senior Desiree Biron (Bow, N.H./The Gunnery School) with 4:40 to go, to notch her first shutout of the season. Chernisky, meanwhile, completed the scoring with a breakaway shorthanded goal with seven seconds remaining, assisted by Porter, for her third goal of the season.

Saint Michael's plays its sixth game of its program-high seven-game homestand on Saturday as the Purple Knights host ninth-ranked Manhattanville College at 3 p.m. Salve Regina is off until Friday, December 11, when the Seahawks host Plymouth State University at 9 p.m.

Courtesy of Saint Michael's sports information