BOSTON (September 25, 2021) -- For the first time in nearly two years, the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey was on the ice against Division I competition on Saturday afternoon, as the Ravens visited historic Matthews Arena for an exhibition tilt with No. 2 nationally ranked Northeastern. The host Huskies poured in three goals in a dominant first period, but Franklin Pierce held its own from there, as the Ravens dropped a 4-2 decision against one of the nation's elite programs. Sophomore Brooke Remington (Scandia, Minn.) and graduate student Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) found the net in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

For Franklin Pierce, it marked a return to Division I competition, after the Ravens played only a pair of games against Division III opposition in 2020-21. For Northeastern, last season's national runner-up, it was a preseason tune-up before the Huskies open their Hockey East campaign with a home-and-home against Holy Cross next weekend.

In a weekend where several NEWHA teams were in action outside of the Alliance, the Franklin Pierce result may have been the most eye-opening of the bunch. Sacred Heart dropped 6-1 and 5-1 decisions on the road at Clarkson, which is receiving votes in the national poll. LIU lost a pair of two-goal road games to a UConn team picked three spots behind Northeastern in the Hockey East preseason poll. Saint Michael's surrendered a dozen goals in an exhibition tilt at Vermont. Meanwhile the Ravens hung within a pair of goals of one of the preseason national title favorites.

An early 5-on-3 advantage allowed Northeastern to open the scoring after the Ravens took a pair of penalties at the 3:49 mark. Junior Megan Carter had the finish from the high slot at 5:30, after senior Chloe Aurard and sophomore Abbey Marohn provided the setup.

A shorthanded tally at 10:13 made it 2-0 for the Huskies. With the puck behind the goal line on the right side, graduate student Skylar Fontaine slipped a pass out front and into the path of fellow graduate student Maddie Mills, who was crashing the net. Mills got her stick to the feed and pushed the puck between the pads of Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.).

Just 2:08 later, Marohn picked up her second helper of the afternoon, as she found senior Maureen Murphy in the middle of the right circle. The latter snapped a wrist shot home from there at 12:21, to make it a 3-0 game.

After getting outshot 20-5 in the first period, the Ravens held the margin to 13-5 in the second frame, as they traded goals with the No. 2 team in the country. After much of the stanza went scoreless, Murphy rifled her second goal of the game to the top-right corner from the hash marks to push the lead out to 4-0.

Franklin Pierce answered just 2:18 later, on the power play at the 16:53 mark. Remington picked a top corner of her own, from the right point, off of assists from Massaro and sophomore Jenna Ruiz (Webster, Wis.).

Franklin Pierce had the only goal of the third period, with a shorthanded tally at 6:20. Massaro forced a turnover at her own blue line and took off the other way, a step ahead of everybody. She finished by slipping a shot between the pads of junior Alexa Matses to create the 4-2 final.

The Ravens split goaltending duties on the afternoon. Ostrander started and took the loss, though she finished with 23 saves against 26 shots in just 30:18 of work. Sophomore Suzette Faucher (Middleton, Wis.) made 19 saves against 20 shots over the final 29:42. Northeastern piled up a 46-13 advantage in shots on the day.

The Ravens are back in action in a week, for another exhibition tilt, this one at home. Franklin Pierce plays host to Team Bauer, the Boston chapter of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.