FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Sydney Antonakis' first career hat trick bolstered the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team to its first New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) victory of the season as the Pios dispatched the Ravens of Franklin Pierce University, 5-1, on Friday night.

After a weary month of October, the Pioneers began the November portion of the campaign with flair, taking the lead five minutes into the opening frame with Antonakis' first of the season to take the 1-0 lead. After claiming the puck in the defensive zone, the Pioneers sprung up the ice quickly with Kate Helgeson finding a streaking Antonakis, who wired a wrist shot into the top corner past Ravens netminder Jill Hertl for the game's opening score. 

The Pios continued to pressure the opposition for a majority of the period before giving the Ravens an opportunity on the power play late in the first period. The Red & White negated any opportunity for the visitors to equalize on the power play as SHU took a 9-6 shot advantage and the 1-0 lead into the first intermission. 

The Ravens began the second period looking for a quick strike with nine remaining on the McNeil tripping minor, but SHU closed the door on FPU's first power-play opportunity of the night. With the momentum favoring the home side, the Pios continued to try and extend the lead with Isabella Chaput's point-blank opportunity went wide with SHU holding on to the 1-0 lead through the midway point of the game. 

After killing off another penalty late in the second period, the Pioneers earned their first power-play opportunity of the night as FPU's Julia Stevens was sent off for hooking with just over two minutes left. Just under a minute into the advantage, the Pios doubled the lead with Emily Wisnewski's first goal as a Pioneer, sending a wrist shot under the left leg of Hertl to give SHU a 2-0 lead late in the second period. However, just before the horn sounded for the second intermission, SHU gave the visitors a two-skater advantage heading into the third period as Chaput and captain Erin Fleming earned minor penalties with 14 seconds left in the middle frame. 

With almost two minutes of a five-on-three power-play opportunity, the Ravens came out of the break with a chance to instigate the comeback. After failing to convert on the Fleming minor for hooking, the Ravens capitalized on their fourth opportunity of the night as Alyssa Kawa's rebound effort made its way past SHU netminder Jillian Petruno to cut the lead in half just two minutes into the third period. 

Halfway through the third, the Pioneers earned their third power play of the night as Claire Casey was sent to the box for hooking to put them back on the advantage. With 34 seconds elapsed on the power play, the Pios regained the two-goal lead as Antonakis fired home her second goal of the night, sending a one-timer past an outstretched Hertl to give the home side a 3-1 lead with nine minutes left. 

Just under three minutes later, Antonakis finished off the hat-trick bid as Hertl fought off the initial point shot from Olivia Laroche but could not track a backhand shot from the Elko New Market, Minn., native as the Pios extended the lead 4-1. 

The Red & White continued the onslaught, pressuring the Ravens until the very end as the Pios found the back of the net for the final time of the night with Antonakis securing her fourth goal of the match. After receiving a loose puck in the corner, SHU's Anastasia Sloan wired a pass to Antonakis in the high slot who rifled it past Hertl as the Pios stymied any last chances from the visitors en route to a 5-1 victory. 

Top Performers:

• Sydney Antonakis: 4 goals, 1 assist, 7 shots on goal
• Emily Wisnewski: 1 goal, 4 shots
• Isabella Chaput: 3 assists, 4 shots on goal 
• Kate Helgeson: 2 assists, 5 shots on goal
• Julianna Koman: 2 assist, 3 shots
• Jillian Petruno: 23 saves, 1 goal allowed

Of Note:

• Antonakis' four goals is the most she has scored in a single game in her collegiate career as she also garnered her first collegiate hat trick in the 5-1 rout. She also becomes the second player this season to record a hat trick for SHU. 
• Antonakis' four goals is the most goals scored by a SHU player in a single game since Nicole Polazzo tallied four goals on February 18, 2012 in a 5-3 win over Potsdam State. 
• Antonakis' hat trick is also the fifth ever hat trick tallied against Franklin Pierce in their program history. 
• Antonakis' five points is a program-best in that department. 
• Chaput's three assists is the most she has recorded in a single game in her career. 
• Wisnewski's second period tally is her first as a member of the Red & White and is only the third goal she has recorded in her collegiate career. 
• Helgeson has now recorded three multi-point games this season, enjoying the team lead in points (8) after her second two-assist outing in the last three games. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action tomorrow, Saturday, November 4, as they take on the Ravens in a rematch at Martire Family Arena at 7 p.m. Live statistics and livestream information will be available on sacredheartpioneers.com.