Paciello nets game-winning goal

WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 22, 2013) – Sophomore forward Francesca Paciello (Clinton, N.Y.) scored the eventual game-winning goal late in the first period on Friday night, as the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team picked up a 4-1 home win over Stevenson at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Three different Ravens had two assists each in the victory. Meanwhile, the two teams combined for 21 penalties totaling 59 minutes in a whistle-filled contest.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 4-1-0, while Stevenson falls to 3-2-1. Thanks in part to 12 power-play opportunities, Franklin Pierce enjoyed a 38-16 advantage in shots on goal in the game. The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena to wrap up the two-game weekend series.

After Franklin Pierce failed to generate much in the way of offense on its first two power plays early in the first period, Stevenson opened the game's scoring while still shorthanded at the 5:46 mark. After a turnover by Franklin Pierce sophomore defenseman Hayley Arnold (Barre, Vt.), Stevenson sophomore forward Erin McLoughlin wound up with the puck streaking up the left-wing side leading a two-on-one through the neutral zone and into the offensive end. Once in the attacking third, she slipped a pass into the middle for sophomore forward Katie Abbott, who snapped a shot to the top-right corner for her second goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce would strike twice in the final five minutes of the opening stanza to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room at the first intermission. The first came at the 15:27 mark after a slick individual effort by sophomore forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) to walk the puck off the right-wing halfboards and weave her way into the high slot. Baker's shot was turned aside by sophomore goaltender Mackenzie Bruch, but an opportunistic sophomore forward Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) put away the rebound for her third goal of the campaign. Sophomore defenseman Sarah Sheils (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also picked up an assist on the play, her first of two helpers on the night.

Just 2:36 later, the Ravens would take the lead for good at the end of a quick rush up the ice. Sheils got the puck to senior forward Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.), who sent an outlet pass which hit Paciello in stride in the neutral zone. The pass effectively sprung Paciello one-on-one against a defender into the offensive end. As she worked her way into the left-wing circle, Paciello found a shooting lane and beat Bruch inside the top-right corner for her second goal of the season.

After the second period went without a goal -- but featured 10 penalties totaling 23 minutes -- Franklin Pierce struck on a 5-on-3 advantage just 82 seconds into the final frame to push the lead to 3-1. Baker and Arnold worked to get the puck to sophomore forward Michaela Faia (Malden, Mass.) in the slot, and the latter found the back of the net for the third time in 2013-14. Another 5-on-3 goal at 18:32 served as insurance marker to create the 4-1 final. Arnold had the puck on the right-wing side and found a lane to send a pass into the slot for freshman forward Marisa Ketterman (Palmer, Alaska). From there, Ketterman took a quick shot which found the top-right corner for her third of the campaign, while sophomore forward Haylea Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) picked up an assist as well.

Franklin Pierce freshman goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) was not tested often on the night, as she finished with 15 saves to pick up the win (2-0-0). At the other end, Bruch piled up 34 saves, but was tagged with the loss (1-1-1) between the pipes for Stevenson.

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).