FAIRFIELD, Conn. — After a daunting five-game road stretch to conclude the month of November, the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team returns to the friendly confines of Martire Family Arena this weekend, hosting Assumption for the first ever meeting between the two teams on Saturday, December 2 at 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pios start the month of December after having remarkable turnaround in conference play in November, going 5-2 against conference foes before ending the month with a post-Thanksgiving showdown at the Nutmeg Classic last weekend. 
 
The Pios opened the tournament facing tough competition against the hosts, #13/12 Yale, ultimately falling to the Bulldogs, 10-0 after hanging around for the first 40 minutes of action. Netminder Carly Greene matched her season-high 44 saves in the loss, marking the sixth time Greene has recorded 40 or more saves in a game in her collegiate career. 
 
Following the loss, the Red & White took on #11/11 UConn in a highly contested affair that resulted in a 3-1 win for the Huskies in the consolation game on Saturday. With the Huskies holding a 1-0 lead at the first intermission, Paige McNeil put the Pios on the board with a wrist shot from the near wing to tie the game 1-1 early in the middle frame before the Huskies scored twice in quick succession to earn the eventual 3-1 win. In the loss, sophomore netminder Jillian Petruno collected a single-game career-high 53 saves, stymying one of the nation's top scoring teams. 
 
GRASPING THE GREYHOUNDS
Assumption heads into the weekend on a three-game slide after winning three-straight halfway through November courtesy of a sweep over Saint Michael's and a standalone win over Post. The Greyhounds took on tough competition over the Thanksgiving break, dropping a 6-1 contest to RPI bookended by two losses to Holy Cross, being outscored by the Crusaders 10-1 over the two-game set. 
 
The newest member of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) is led by junior Sheridan Terrazzano who owns the team lead in goals (6) and points (9) in 16 games. Freshman Jenna Chaplain leads the Greyhounds in assists (5) and is tied for second on the team in points with fellow freshman Ava McGaffigan with both accruing eight points on the year. In goal, Carissa Mudrak has three of Assumption's four wins this season after starting 10 games while Jadyn Weiser earned the two starts against Holy Cross last week. 
 
In his first season at the helm, Jack Sweeney has led the Greyhounds to a 4-11-1 record so far this season with the team sitting at sixth place in the NEWHA standings entering the weekend. 
 
PESKY PETRUNO
Sophomore netminder Jillian Petruno had a remarkable month of November for the Pioneers, earning the starting nod in six games, going 3-2 against conference foes and 3-3 overall. Petruno earned her first collegiate victory in SHU's 5-1 win over Franklin Pierce to begin the month before backstopping the Pios en route to the team's first series sweep this season in the weekend finale. 
 
The native of Wixom, Mich., earned her first collegiate shutout in SHU's 1-0 win over Saint Michael's on November 17 before tallying a career-high 53 saves in the consolation game of the Nutmeg Classic against #11/11 UConn on November 25. Petruno owns a 2.83 goals against average and an impressive .919 save percentage heading into the weekend.