Sheils Three-Assist Day Enables Women’s Ice Hockey to Sweep Away SUNY Canton, 3-1

Baker nets second straight game-winning goal

WINCHENDON, Mass. (December 14, 2013) – Sophomore defenseman Sarah Sheils (Pittsburgh, Pa.) assisted on all three Ravens goals on Saturday afternoon as the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team closed out the fall semester with a 3-1 win over SUNY Canton at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Freshman forward Jessica Kistabish scored the lone goal in defeat for SUNY Canton.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 9-1-0 and has won six in a row, while SUNY Canton falls to 4-7-2. The win allowed Franklin Pierce to finish off a two-game weekend sweep of the Kangaroos and get back over the .500 mark over the history of the program, which is in its sophomore season. Franklin Pierce piled up a 41-25 advantage in shots over the course of the game.

SUNY Canton opened the scoring late in the first period, at the 17:02 mark. Freshman forward Lora Ardoin slipped the puck to Kistabish, who found a seam through the slot moving from right to left. As she crossed in front of the net, she was able to create space between the pads of freshman goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) and slip home her team-leading seventh goal of the campaign.

Just 91 seconds after the Kistabish goal, Franklin Pierce got the first power-play chance of the night, as SUNY Canton freshman forward Olga Russell was sent to the box for hitting after the whistle at 18:33. The Ravens converted 50 seconds in to the man-advantage, as Sheils and sophomore forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) worked the puck to sophomore forward Michaela Faia (Malden, Mass.) near the bottom of the right-wing circle. From there, Faia wired a shot over the shoulder of freshman goaltender Shayna Dominique which banked off the post and in for Faia's fifth goal of the campaign.

The second period saw each team get one power-play opportunity, but neither side could find the game's next goal. Franklin Pierce took the lead for good 74 seconds into the final frame when Baker lifted home a rebound from the bottom of the right circle for her team-leading ninth goal of the year. Sheils and sophomore forward Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) picked up the assists on the play. For Baker, it was her second game-winning goal in as many games and capped a five-point weekend (4-1-5).

The Ravens would pick up a much-needed insurance marker at the 10:01 mark to cap the scoring and create the 3-1 final. An outlet pass from sophomore defenseman Michelle Stock (Austin, Texas) set Sheils up on the right-wing side of the neutral zone with some space to work with. Sheils found a seam across the ice and slipped a pass through it to set up sophomore forward Haylea Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) with a partial breakaway into the left-wing side of the offensive zone. Barbieri powered to the net from there and ultimately stuffed home her second goal of the season, which was her second score in as many days. For Sheils, the third helper of the afternoon finished off a five-assist weekend. It was her second three-assist contest of the year.

O'Neil made 24 saves on the afternoon to pick up the win (4-0-0) between the pipes for Franklin Pierce. Dominique piled up 38 saves at the other end of the ice but took the loss (4-7-2) in front of the SUNY Canton net.

After the semester break, the Ravens return to the ice on Sunday, Jan. 5, when they travel to Saint Anselm. Opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. at Sullivan Rink in Manchester, N.H. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Tuesday, Jan. 7 against Saint Michael's at 12:30 p.m.

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).