Matsumoto has first career multi-point day

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (February 14, 2014) – Freshman forward Marisa Ketterman (Palmer, Alaska) scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner in the third period on Friday night, as the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team utilized a three-goal third period to notch a 4-1 victory on the road against Sacred Heart at Wonderland of Ice. Sophomore forward Hanna Skelley scored the lone goal in defeat for Sacred Heart.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 18-4-1 and snapped a brief, two-game losing streak, while Sacred Heart falls to 3-14-5. Franklin Pierce piled up a 44-22 advantage in shots in the game.

The Ravens scored the first period's only goal in a four-on-four situation, courtesy of a strong individual effort by sophomore forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.). Franklin Pierce's leading scorer corralled the puck in her own end, swept behind the net and set off down the left-wing side. Baker was able to weave her way through several defenders on the coast-to-coast rush, found her way to the bottom of the left-wing circle and put the puck on net. Sacred Heart senior goaltender Alexius Schutt got a piece of the shot, but not enough to keep it from becoming Baker's 17th goal of the season, unassisted, at the 7:36 mark.

Though the scoreboard read 1-0 after the first 20 minutes, the score was not indicative of Franklin Pierce's first-period dominance. The defensive effort allowed only three shots on goal from the Pioneers, despite a pair of Sacred Heart power plays. All three were turned aside by freshman goaltender Noelle White (Corona, Calif.), and the Ravens enjoyed a 16-3 advantage in shots in the opening stanza.

The second period went without a goal, as the teams spent much of the middle frame trading penalties. Franklin Pierce came up empty on four power-play chances in the second period, though one of them was abbreviated. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart went 0-for-3 with the man-advantage in the stanza, though two wound up being shorter than the full two minutes.

Sacred Heart pushed the tempo to start the third period and found a goal to tie the game at 1-1 at the 4:02 mark. With the puck in the right-wing corner, junior forward Alanna Woodford flipped it out front as Skelley crashed the crease. The puck caromed off Skelley and into the net for her fifth goal of the year, while junior forward Casey Stathopoulos also picked up an assist on the play.

The tie was extremely short-lived, as Franklin Pierce needed just 18 seconds to reclaim the lead on the next shift, with the eventual game-winning goal at 4:20. The entire line crashed the net and freshman forward Nina Danforth (Stratford, Conn.) wound up with her third goal of the campaign, as Ketterman and freshman forward Lanie Matsumoto (Fort Collins, Colo.) chipped in assists on the play.

More hustle led to an insurance marker for the Ravens at the 8:15 mark, as they pushed the lead to 3-1. The puck was dumped softly into the Sacred Heart end and Schutt came out of her crease to try to clear it from danger before the Ravens could arrive on the scene. Senior forward Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) stormed to the puck and the goalie and knocked the puck loose. Initially, it banged off the post, but Wiley put the follow-up away for her fifth goal of the season. Sophomore forwards Haylea Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) and Bryana Harron (Woburn, Mass.) wound up with helpers on the play.

Franklin Pierce capped the scoring with another insurance marker at 17:11 to create the 4-1 final. Matsumoto took the first shot on the play from the slot, off a feed from sophomore defenseman Hayley Arnold (Barre, Vt.). Schutt made the initial save, but the rebound dropped straight to Ketterman outside the right post. Ketterman shoveled the puck into the gaping net for the 11th goal of her freshman campaign. The second assist of the night gave Matsumoto her first collegiate multiple-point game.

White was largely untested through the first half of the game and finished with 21 saves on the night to pick up the win (9-3-1) in front of the Franklin Pierce net. By contrast, Schutt was under siege at the other end of the ice and piled up 40 saves, but took the loss (2-7-4) anyway between the pipes for Sacred Heart.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Feb. 15, when they wrap up their sophomore season by closing out the two-game weekend series at Sacred Heart. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Wonderland of Ice.

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).