Faia tallies goal, assist

WINCHENDON, Mass. (October 27, 2012) – Junior forward Bridget Griffin finished off a passing play with a snap-shot from the slot 3:33 into overtime on Saturday night to lift Nichols to a 3-2 victory over the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Freshman forward Michaela Faia (Malden, Mass.) figured on both third-period goals for Franklin Pierce, with a goal and an assist, as the Ravens rallied from a 2-0 second-intermission deficit to force the extra session. Sophomore forward Gracy Murphy was a part of the scoring of all three Nichols goals, as she finished with a goal and two assists.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 0-2-0, while Nichols opens the season at 1-0-0 (0-0-0 ECAC East). Nichols held a 28-24 advantage in shots on goal, including a 7-1 edge in the overtime. The win was the first career victory for first-year Nichols coach Jillian Campbell.

The overtime game-winner came at the end of a series of quick passes, which left the puck on the stick of Griffin in the slot. Murphy and junior forward Megan Gerein would pick up the assists when Griffin snapped a shot inside the left post to send her teammates flooding off the bench in celebration.

Earlier in the evening, after the first period went scoreless, Nichols jumped to a 2-0 lead with a pair of second-period tallies. The Bison opened the scoring just 62 seconds into the middle stanza, on the power play, when sophomore forward Jordan Fencl sent the puck to Murphy at the left point. Murphy took a shot from there, and sophomore forward Talia Hohmann would get credit for the goal, after she redirected it en route to beat Franklin Pierce junior goaltender Amelea Gray (Bozeman, Mont.).

Nichols would strike again with 3:25 to play in the second frame, this time while shorthanded. Murphy forced a turnover in the neutral zone and sprung herself on a partial breakaway down the right side. She snapped a shot from the bottom of the right-wing circle to tally her first goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce got its comeback going with a quick strike in the third period, scoring just 95 seconds into the frame. On a scramble in front of the net, the initial shot by Faia was turned aside, but she would pick up an assist as freshman forward Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) jammed home her second goal in as many nights. Freshman defenseman Michelle Stock (Austin, Texas) would notch her first career point with the other assist on the play. To this point, Doucette had figured in on all three goals in program history.

With Nichols sophomore defenseman Taylor Brown in the box for tripping, the Ravens would complete the comeback and tie the game at 2-2 with a power-play marker at the 6:51 mark of the third. Taking the draw in the right-wing circle, freshman forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) won the faceoff back to Faia, who was stationed towards the slot off the top of the circle. Faia wasted no time and snapped a shot past Nichols freshman goaltender Nia Kelly.

Neither team could find the net again in regulation, setting the scene for Griffin's game-winning goal in the extra period.

Gray made 25 saves against 28 shots and took the loss (0-2-0) in net for Franklin Pierce. Kelly stopped 22 of the 24 pucks sent her way to pick up the win (1-0-0) between the pipes for Nichols.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Nov. 9, when they remain home to host Stevenson. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).