EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (December 7, 2019) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team was able to post a 31-23 advantage in shots on goal on Saturday afternoon, but the Ravens still struggled to keep pucks out of their net at the Northwell Health Ice Center. Long Island University put home seven goals on its 23 shots and the Ravens also squandered a 6-1 edge in power-play opportunities, as they suffered a 7-3 defeat on the road in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play. In its eighth season, and its 201^st game, it marked just the fifth time in program history the Ravens had allowed at least seven goals in a game.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 11-4-0 (7-3-0 NEWHA) and sees its winning streak snapped at four games, while LIU improves to 5-10-0 (5-3-0 NEWHA). The two teams will wrap up the four-game season series with a pair of games at Franklin Pierce on the penultimate weekend of the season, Feb. 7-8.

The first period-and-a-half were nothing short of a disaster for Franklin Pierce, as the Ravens surrendered six goals on the opening 19 shots of the game and trailed by a half-dozen at the game's midway point. In the first, freshman defenseman Julia Hoffman opened the scoring for the Sharks with her first of the season at the 5:25 mark, while freshman forward Matilda af Bjur followed with her fifth of the year at 12:05 and freshman forward Elissa Taylor added her second of the campaign at 16:50.

Freshman forward Abby Latorella opened the second-period scoring with the eventual game-winning goal, as she went top-shelf from the bottom of the right circle for her fifth of the season at 3:17. The goal chased sophomore Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) from the Franklin Pierce net in favor of senior Jessica Strack (Reading, Mass.), who would go the rest of the way in the crease.

Back-to-back goals from freshman forward Carrigan Umpherville at 5:08 and 9:24 pushed the lead all the way out to 6-0 halfway through the contest. Umpherville's sixth of the season came on a breakaway, while her seventh was wired to the upper reaches of the net from the right circle.

Franklin Pierce finally stemmed the tide at the 12:57 mark, when senior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) put home her own rebound from the bottom of the right circle for her seventh goal of the season. Freshman forward Katelyn Brightbill (Annville, Pa.) and junior forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) provided the assists on the play. Prentiss -- the nation's leading scorer among defensemen (1.57 points/game) -- now has 11 points (3-8-11) over a five-game point-scoring streak.

At 18:29, freshman forward Ava Kison (Eau Claire, Wis.) walked out of the left-wing corner and roofed a backhand shot for her fifth goal of the season. On the other side of the intermission, junior forward Nicole Amato (Billerica, Mass.) cut the deficit to 6-3 with her seventh goal of the campaign. She banged home the rebound of a shot by freshman forward Becca Kniss (Eden Prairie, Minn.) from just outside the crease at the 6:08 mark of the third.

LIU capped the scoring at 11:11 to create the 7-3 final. Freshman forward Alva Johnsson struck for a shorthanded tally for her fifth goal of the season.

Ostrander (8-4-0) allowed four goals on the game's opening 14 shots and suffered the loss in the Franklin Pierce crease. Strack would not fare any better, as she allowed three goals on nine shots the rest of the way. Freshman Mia McLeod (2-4-0) finished with 28 saves against 31 shots to pick up the win at the other end for LIU.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Dec. 13, when they travel to Dartmouth for a non-conference contest. Opening faceoff is set for 6 p.m. at Thompson Arena in Hanover, N.H.

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 ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (https://www.shopfpuravens.com).