Ravens visit SUNY Canton next weekend to close out semester

SHELTON, Conn. (December 6, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team piled up a 37-16 shots advantage on Saturday night, but also went 0-for-6 on the power play en route to suffering a 3-1 loss to Sacred Heart in non-conference play at Sports Center of Connecticut. Senior forward Casey Stathopoulos had a goal and an assist to lead the way for Sacred Heart, while junior forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) scored the lone goal in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 7-2-1 (5-1-0 ECAC East) and sees its program-record eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) come to an end. With the victory, Sacred Heart improves to 3-5-0. For the Ravens, the defeat comes just one day after the team breezed to a 6-1 win on home ice against Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart opened the scoring at the 14:07 mark of the first period, with a shorthanded goal against the embattled Franklin Pierce power play. Stathopoulos put away her fourth goal of the campaign, unassisted.

Franklin Pierce would go 0-for-6 with the man-advantage in the Nutmeg State on Saturday night, and the team's power-play unit now stands at just 3-for-44 (6.8%) on the season. The Ravens did score one power-play goal last weekend against Buffalo State, but have now come up empty on their last 17 opportunities since.

Franklin Pierce was outshot, 10-7, in the first period on Saturday, but then put the Sacred Heart net under siege for the rest of the night. The Ravens enjoyed an 18-3 advantage in the middle frame and a 12-3 edge in the final period, though they would only find the net once. Sacred Heart senior goaltender Amanda Fontaine, who made 33 saves in a losing effort on Friday night in Winchendon, piled up 36 more saves against 37 shots to pick up the win (2-5-0) for the Pioneers on Saturday. In contrast, sophomore goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) finished with just 13 saves against 16 shots and took the loss (2-2-1) for Franklin Pierce.

For its part, Sacred Heart went 1-for-3 with the power play, and converted just four seconds into a second-period man-advantage, to push the lead to 2-0 at the 7:27 mark. Stathopoulos provided an assist this time, as she set up the second goal of the season for senior forward Briana Connolly.

Franklin Pierce cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the second intermission. Baker netted her sixth goal of the season, to tie for the team lead, unassisted at 17:57.

The Pioneers picked up an insurance marker early in the third period, at the 3:16 mark. Freshman forward Brittany Smith and sophomore forward Emily Falvey set up the first collegiate goal for freshman forward Taylor Moreland. The goal would stand as the final score of the night and created the 3-1 final.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Dec. 12, when they travel to SUNY Canton for the front end of a two-game, non-conference, weekend series. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Roos House in Canton, N.Y. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Friday, Jan. 9 against William Smith at 7:30 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).