SHELTON, Conn. (November 18, 2022) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team was handily outshot on the road on Friday afternoon, 35-21, by Sacred Heart at Sports Center of Connecticut. The Ravens scored first, but came up on the short end on the scoreboard as well, as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Pioneers. Senior Ava Kison (Eau Claire, Wis.) netted the lone goal in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 4-7-1 (3-3-1 NEWHA), while Sacred Heart improves to 5-8-1 (5-4-1 NEWHA). The two teams will wrap up their weekend series on Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. puck drop at Sports Center of Connecticut.

The first period went scoreless on Friday, before Franklin Pierce got things started at the 2:48 mark of the second period. From her own blue line, senior Stefanie Caban (Fitchburg, Mass.) dished the puck to Kison, who took off down the right wing. Kison made a left turn at the top of the right circle, cut into the slot and snapped home a shot for her second goal of the season.

Kison's goal was one of just three shots for the Ravens in the second period though, as Sacred Heart rang up a 10-3 advantage in shots in the middle frame. The Pioneers converted once in the stanza, at the 7:04 mark, to level things at 1-1. Junior Paige McNeil forced a turnover in the neutral zone and carried down the left wing all the way to the goal line. Before heading behind the net, she slipped a pass back out into the slot for freshman Olivia LaRoche, who put away her first collegiate goal.

The Pioneers would score the only two goals of the third period to pick up the 3-1 win. The game-winner game at the 5:31 mark. Graduate student Kelly Solak set up senior Cassandra Nevers in the left circle, and the latter put a shot on net from there. Franklin Pierce freshman goaltender Jill Hertl (Highland Park, Ill.) made the initial save on the play, but graduate student Nicole Guidi cleaned up the rebound at the bottom of the right circle for her third of the season.

Sacred Heart capped the afternoon with an empty-net tally by graduate student Delani Mackay, who potted her team-leading seventh of the campaign from the top of the right circle.

Hertl (3-3-1) made 32 saves against 34 shots and suffered the loss in the Franklin Pierce crease. Sophomore Carly Greene (2-6-0) stopped 20 of 21 shots in the victory for Sacred Heart.