FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Carly Greene's 45-save shutout proved to be the difference as four different Pioneer goal-scorers provided offensive support with the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team cruising to a 4-0 win over the Saint Anselm College Hawks on Saturday afternoon.
With the Pioneers eyeing a series split, the offense quickly got to work for the home side as it did the night prior with two first period goals. Having a handful of chances in the opening frame,
Sami Bowlby grabbed her second goal of the season sending home a chance after the Pios went coast-to-coast to get into the offensive zone. Having a pass up from the point,
Olivia LaRoche wired a shot into the slot that Bowlby tipped home to put SHU up, 1-0, just past the halfway mark of the period.
Having grabbed a two-goal lead the night before, SHU replicated its offensive prowess in the first period with
Brianna Morden nabbing her first collegiate goal to put SHU up, 2-0. With a defensive zone clearance, Morden grabbed the puck through the neutral zone and wired a wrist shot past the short side of SAC's Clara Karunakar to give SHU a two-goal advantage with under three minutes to play in the opening stanza. SHU continued to pester the opposition through the remainder of the frame to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
Following the offensive display in the opening period, the Pios jumped on the Hawks again in the second period, finding the back of the net four minutes into the frame as
Kate Helgeson nabbed her first goal of the season to put SHU up, 3-0. Having a Bowlby shot go wide, defender
Kailey Smith sent a slapper toward the net that Helgeson redirected in the low slot past the left pad of Karunakar for a three-spot lead four minutes into the middle stanza.
Five minutes later, having hit the halfway point of the period,
Ella Holm grabbed her first collegiate goal with the Pios having a condensed power play after a brief spell of four-on-four action. With a deflection out in front, Holm was able to locate a loose puck in the low slot, sending a half-clapper past the far shoulder of Karunakar, chasing the starting netminder for the remainder of the game as the Pios lead grew to four.
Facing a slight bit of penalty trouble in the middle frame, the Pios clamped down defensively behind starting netminder
Carly Greene, keeping the hawks at bay through 40 minutes. Greene, who racked up 28 saves through two periods, stood tall on both advantages the Pios gave the opposition, taking a 4-0 lead into the intermission with just 20 minutes stopping the home side from earning a series split.
In the third, Greene stole the show, stopping 17 shots in the final stanza as the Pios kept the Hawks at bay. Having given SAC a few opportunities on the power play, Greene closed the door on any sign of a comeback, finishing with a 45-save shutout as the Pios grabbed their first New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) win via a 4-0 decision.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- In the game, two Pioneers recorded their first collegiate goals as Ella Holm and Brianna Morden tallied for the first time in their careers in the Red & White.
- In total, four different Pioneers recorded a goal in Saturday's contest.
- Eight Pioneers also recorded a point in the game.
- Greene's shutout is the first she has recorded this season in her first start between the pipes. The shutout is her sixth of her career while her 45 saves is the most she has recorded in a game since stopping 54 in SHU's 2-1 overtime win over Harvard on January 15, 2023.
Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action next weekend, hitting the road for a pair of NEWHA contests at Stonehill College on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19. Puck drop for Friday's tilt is slated for 5 p.m. while Saturday's contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
