BUFFALO, N.Y. (December 8, 2018) – A three-goal first-period hole proved to be too much for the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team to overcome on Saturday afternoon at Buffalo State Ice Arena. The Ravens came up with one in the second and one in the third, but it would not be enough, as host Buffalo State salvaged a weekend split by dealing Franklin Pierce a 3-2 loss in non-conference play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce wraps up the first semester at 8-7-0, while Buffalo State improves to 4-5-2.

Buffalo State jumped out of the gate with three goals in the first and never trailed on Saturday. Senior defenseman Madeline Kromer opened the scoring at 4:34, with her first goal of the season, while junior forward Lila Toczek and junior defenseman Cheyenne Matson provided the assists. Sophomore forward Lauren Madden followed with a power-play marker for her first collegiate goal at 16:14, off of helpers from Kromer and Brigante. The Franklin Pierce penalty kill, which came into the month of December clicking along at 93.2%, has now surrendered five power-play goals over the last four games.

The Bengals would push the lead out to 3-0 before the first intermission came along. Just 94 seconds after the Madden goal, at 17:48, Toczek struck for her fifth of the year in a 4-on-4 situation, with assists credited to senior forward Emma Ruggiero and senior defenseman Megan Reukauf.

Franklin Pierce put home a goal each in the second and third periods, but could not erase the deficit. In the second, it was a power-play marker for sophomore forward Ann Margaret DiSciscio (Litchfield, N.H.), who tallied her third goal of the weekend and her fifth goal of the season. Sophomore defenseman Carolyn Drowne (Bridgewater, Mass.) provided the lone assist at 18:04.

In the third period, junior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) struck for her third goal of the campaign, unassisted, at 11:49. Franklin Pierce came up empty on a late power play and then eventually got the goaltender to the bench for the final 76 seconds, but was unable to find the tying goal, as Buffalo State held on for the 3-2 win.

Freshman goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) stopped 26 of 29 shots on her goal and suffered the loss (3-3-0) in net for Franklin Pierce. Buffalo State sophomore netminder Bri Gawronski (4-5-2) made 23 saves against 25 shots to pick up the win at the other end of the ice.

Following the semester break, the Ravens return to the ice on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 4-5, when they return home to host Potsdam in a non-conference weekend series. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena in Winchendon.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). 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 hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).