March 1, 2008

Final Stats

Manchester, NH - Freshmen Kristina Hankins (Lexington, MA) and Taryn Lapierre (Burrillville, RI) each had two goals and an assist and senior Katelin McLaughlin (Hingham, MA) also tallied three points to lead Sacred Heart to a 7-2 win over Holy Cross in the second semi-final game of the ECAC Women's Open Tournament Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Arena on the campus of Saint Anselm College.

Holy Cross struck first halfway through the first period. Lisa Wilson scored her 11th goal of the season at the 9:40 mark on a wrap-around goal. Wendy Nobrega and Louise Hillen assisted on the goal.

The Pioneers responded quickly though. Lapierre scored her seventh goal of the season just 1:06 later to tie the score up at one apiece. Kate Dunlop (Fisherton, ON) and Sarah Hickman (Amherst, MA) assisted on the goal. Hankins broke free behind the Holy Cross defense and pocketed a shot in the top right-corner of the net at the 17:32 mark over Monique Gallant's (Antigonish, NS) glove on the breakaway. Kristina Feltz (Edison, N.J.) and Brittany Rosselle (Pawling, N.Y.) assisted on the go-ahead goal.

After Holy Cross took two late-period penalties, the Pioneers took advantage of the five-on-three opportunity. Katie McLaughlin scored on the rebound with just 16 seconds remaining in the first period. Hankins assisted on the goal. Sacred Heart took the 3-1 lead into the second frame.

Lapierre opened scoring in the second period with her second goal of the game unassisted at the 2:54 mark to increase the Pioneers' lead to 4-1. Hankins scored her second goal of the game at the 9:31 mark, boosting Sacred Heart's lead to 5-1. Rosselle and McLaughlin assisted on the goal.

The Crusaders refused to give in though, as Wilson scored on the power play for her second goal of the game, assisted by Samantha Rush (Wakefield, Mass.) and Emily Henry (Lumsden, Canada) at the 12:46 mark.

The Pioneers got the lead back to four with 1:45 remaining in the period, as McLaughlin picked up her second goal of the game. Hickman assisted on the goal for her second assist of the afternoon. Sacred Heart took the 6-2 lead into the third period.

The Pioneers increased the lead to five at the 6:14 mark in the third, as Dunlop scored on the short-side. Lapierre and Devon Gaslin (Augusta, Maine) assisted on the goal.

Sacred Heart advances to the ECAC Women's Open Tournament finals, facing off against Saint Anselm at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 2nd at Sullivan Arena.