Doucette contributes pair of assists

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (January 15, 2016) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team scored the first four goals of the game on Friday night, to which Saint Michael's was able to provide just a sole answer, as the Ravens posted a 4-1 win in New England Hockey Conference play. Senior forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) was credited with a pair of goals to lead the way for Franklin Pierce at Cairns Arena.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-2-1 (5-2-0 NEHC) and is unbeaten in its last nine (8-0-1), while Saint Michael's falls to 3-10-1 (1-6-0 NEHC).

Nearly the entire first period had gone scoreless on Friday night, when Saint Michael's junior defenseman Kayla Kee was whistled for a hooking penalty at the 19:37 mark. With time winding down, it looked as if the power play would carry over to the second period, when the Ravens worked the puck to senior defenseman Sarah Sheils (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the right-wing circle in the waning seconds. Sheils fired, the puck hit the back of the net, and the buzzer sounded, all in rapid succession as the period came to a wild finish. Though close, the goal had clearly beaten the horn, and the officials ultimately ruled it had been scored with two-tenths of a second on the clock. After a faceoff held solely for bookkeeping purposes, the Ravens went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead. Junior forward Michelle Holmes (Goffstown, N.H.) and senior defenseman Hayley Arnold (Barre, Vt.) picked up the assists on Sheils' fourth goal of the season.

The Ravens needed less than a minute to double the lead to 2-0 early in the second period, as Baker struck for the eventual game-winner at just the 47-second mark. Senior defenseman Samantha Bureau (Ottawa, Ontario) served as the catalyst on the play, as she carried the puck into the zone on the right side and sent a shot wide of the right post from the top of the right circle. Baker ultimately gained control of the puck after the errant shot, swooped behind the net, curled through the right circle and into the slot, and then snapped home a low wrist shot for her 10th goal of the season.

Franklin Pierce made it a two-goal second period at the 10:10 mark. Senior forward Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) sent senior defenseman Haylea Barbieri (Plainville, Mass.) out of the defensive end and through the neutral zone with a head of steam on the right-wing side. Barbieri carried the puck into the offensive end and picked the top-left corner of the net from the top of the right circle for her first goal of the season, ringing the pipe before the puck went in.

The Ravens capped their scoring at the 3:45 mark of the third period, with an insurance marker to push the lead as high as 4-0. Baker was credited with the goal on the play, with Doucette picking up an assist.

Saint Michael's notched its lone goal of the night at the 15:54 mark on a rush into the offensive zone. Sophomore forward Katherine O'Brien carried the puck into the offensive end on the right-wing side. As she got into the right circle, O'Brien found a lane for a centering pass to senior defenseman Emily Loebs, who was cutting through the slot. Loebs got her stick to the feed and was able to redirect the puck into the top-left corner for her second goal of the season. The goal snapped Franklin Pierce's shutout streak at 265:33.

Senior goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) faced just 13 shots on the night and finished with 12 saves to pick up the win (6-2-1) in goal for Franklin Pierce. Junior netminder Abby Burke (2-9-1) piled up 36 saves against 40 shots, but still took the loss in the crease for Saint Michael's.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Jan. 16, when they travel to Nichols for a New England Hockey Conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 4:40 p.m. at Levy Rink in Harrisville, R.I.

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' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).