WORCESTER, Mass. (February 6, 2021) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team was in desperate need of a rest after its last game: a record-setting, five-overtime affair in the 2020 NEWHA Tournament. Little did the Ravens know, they would get far more rest than they bargained for. After being idle for more than 11 months, the Ravens got right back to filling up the net on Saturday night at Worcester Ice Center though. Freshman forward Jenna Ruiz (Webster, Wis.) notched a hat trick in her collegiate debut, while line-mate and fellow freshman Emilie Prive (Morrisville, Vt.) had three assists in hers, and Franklin Pierce rolled to a 6-1 non-conference win at Becker.

With the win, the Ravens open their abbreviated 2021 campaign at 1-0-0, while Becker opens its season at 0-1-0. The two teams will wrap up the home-and-home weekend series on Sunday at Franklin Pierce, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena in Winchendon.

The Ravens would build up a 6-0 lead over the opening two frames, beginning with Ruiz's first collegiate score, just 3:15 into the proceedings. Prive -- who assisted on all three Ruiz goals -- and junior defender Kiki Doucette (Bridgewater, Mass.) combined to spring Ruiz into the offensive end, where she beat a defender and put her shot home on the blocker side.

Franklin Pierce doubled the lead to 2-0 at 11:38, when sophomore forward Katelyn Brightbill (Annville, Pa.) cashed in the eventual game-winning goal. Sophomore forward Becca Kniss (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and senior forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) combined to win possession of the puck in the corner and worked together to set up Brightbill on the back door.

It was a four-goal barrage for the crimson and grey in the third period. Kniss got things going at 3:25, and junior forward Bridget Fagan (Millis, Mass.) followed with a tally at 5:43. Kniss finished off a rush down the ice after sophomore defenseman Bethany Ross (Canton, Mich.) and Brightbill connected on a breakout pass, while Fagan put a backhand to the top shelf and out of the reach of Becker sophomore goaltender Amber Lee.

Ruiz blew the doors off the game with two more goals before the intermission, as she found the net at 9:08, and then on the power play at 17:09, to make it three goals in her first game at the college level. The first of the pair came as Prive drew the defender and found a wide-open Ruiz in the slot to cap a 2-on-1 rush, while the hat-trick goal came right out front after Prive put the puck towards the net off of a faceoff play.

Becker created the 6-1 final with the lone goal of the third period, courtesy of sophomore forward Cassidhe Wozniak at the 3:23 mark. She completed a give-and-go with freshman defender Anya Laxton with a shot from the side of the net, while sophomore forward Shelby Reaugh added an assist as well.

Junior goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) finished with 17 saves against 18 shots to pick up the win (1-0-0) in the Franklin Pierce crease. Lee (0-1-0) was under siege all night at the other end of the rink, as she was stuck with the loss despite piling up 49 saves against 55 shots.