SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (January 26, 2018) – With just 68 seconds remaining in regulation on Friday night, freshman forward Kelsey Ryan (Burlington, Mass.) deflected her second goal of the night inside the right post to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team to a 4-3 win on the road at Saint Michael's. Ryan's three-point night (2-1-3) led the way, as the crimson and grey erased a 2-0, first-intermission deficit to rally for the victory in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play at Cairns Arena.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-7-2 (5-7-1 NEWHA), while Saint Michael's falls to 3-16-0 (3-10-0 NEWHA). The two teams will meet again for a Saturday matinee at Cairns Arena to wrap up the four-game season series. Opening puck drop is set for 1 p.m.

Franklin Pierce piled up a 42-22 advantage in shots on goal on the night, but still struggled on the scoreboard out of the gates, as Saint Michael's struck for the first period's only two goals. On the first goal, the original shot on the play came from senior forward Kaitlyn Wurzer, who rang the left post with the puck. Sophomore forward Jordan Monbouquette was on the scene in the left circle to put the rebound home inside the left post at the 3:11 mark. Senior forward Ashley Dineen added an assist as well on Monbouquette's second goal of the season.

It was then Dineen who provided the second tally, at 17:04. Her fifth goal of the campaign came on another rebound off the left post, after sophomore defenseman Arianna Boscia led a 2-on-1 in from the neutral zone and sent her shot ringing off the pipe.

Franklin Pierce got things turned around early in the second period, as freshman forward Haley Parker (Londonderry, N.H.) struck just 25 seconds into the middle stanza. She jammed home a rebound at the left post for her eighth goal of the year, after a shot from the slot by freshman defenseman Carolyn Drowne (Bridgewater, Mass.) was turned aside. Ryan added an assist as well.

The Ravens drew even at 7:20, on yet another rebound goal. Sophomore defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) had the initial shot on the play from the left circle, which was saved. Freshman forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) was stationed at the left post and was able to bat the rebound out of the air and into the net to level the score at 2-2. Drowne added her second assist of the night, on Massaro's 10^th goal of the year.

After the remainder of the second, as well as the first 15 minutes of the third, went without further scoring, the two teams remained tied at 2-2 heading into the final five minutes. Franklin Pierce put away a power-play goal at 15:08 to strike for a 3-2 lead. Massaro's shot from the slot was saved by Saint Michael's junior goaltender Nicole Talcott, but the rebound kicked out wide on the right-wing side. Ryan was left with a sharp-angle shot, but put it home for her fifth goal of the year, while Prentiss tacked on an assist as well.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Saint Michael's made it 3-3 just 24 seconds later, at 15:32. It was another goal from a sharp angle, as Dineen threw the puck towards the net from the corner and banked it in off the skate of Franklin Pierce freshman goaltender Kelly Turney (Fort Gratiot, Mich.). Senior forward Kaitlyn Wurzer and sophomore defenseman Alissa Sullivan picked up the assists on Dineen's sixth of the season.

It all set the stage for Ryan's heroics in the final 70 seconds. Prentiss led the rush up the right-wing side and left the puck for sophomore forward Meg Gilbride (Braintree, Mass.) in the right circle. With Ryan providing the screen in front of Talcott, Gilbride snapped her shot, which Ryan deflected inside the right post at 18:52, for the game-winning goal. It marked Ryan's first career multiple-goal game.

Turney (5-4-1) finished with 19 saves against 22 shots to pick up the win in net for Franklin Pierce. Meanwhile, Talcott (3-14-0) collected 38 saves against 42 shots in the losing effort for Saint Michael's.

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).