FAIRFIELD, Conn. — On the heels of a conference-opening split, the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team sets its sights on its first road series of the season, making the short trip up to Stonehill College this weekend for a pair of New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) contests. Puck drop from Bridgewater Ice Arena in on Friday, October 18 is slated for 5 p.m. while Saturday's contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com. 
 
ORIGINAL SIX
Having been on the penalty kill 11 times during the series against Saint Anselm, the Pios stood strong, stymying the Hawks power play on all 11 occasions as the Red & White currently hold an 84.2% penalty kill rate. 
 
Senior netminder Carly Greene recorded her first win of the season in shutout fashion, stopping 45 shots against Saint Anselm last Saturday to secure a series split against the Hawks. The shutout is the sixth of her career while the 45 saves was the most Greene has recorded 54 saves in SHU's 2-1 win over Harvard on January 15, 2023. 
 
The Pioneers struck twice on the power play during the two-game series against SAC as Isabella Chaput nabbed her first goal of the season in the Friday affair while Ella Holm earned her first collegiate goal with a power-play tally on Saturday. SHU currently leads the NEWHA in power-play percentage (27.3%) with three goals on 11 eleven opportunities. 
 
Three Pioneers recorded their first collegiate goals during last week's series with Ally Cohen grabbing her first collegiate goal on Friday while E. Holm and defender Brianna Morden potted goals in Saturday's 4-0 blanking of Saint Anselm. 
 
SHU's four-goal outing against the Hawks was the first time this season that the Pioneers have recorded four or more goals. Last season, the Pios scored four or more goals on seven occasions, posting a perfect 7-0-0 record in those games. 
 
Through four games this season, eight Pioneers have recorded a goal including six players who recorded their first goals of the season during last weekend's series. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers opened NEWHA action against tough opposition in Saint Anselm, falling in the first game of the weekend, 4-3, before securing a decisive, 4-0 rout of the Hawks in the finale to grab their first points in the conference standings. 
 
In game one, the Pios started hot, grabbing two goals in :33 to take a 2-0 lead just over five minutes into the opening frame. The sister connection of Alyssa and Sydney Antonakis combined to score SHU's first goal of the series while Ally Cohen grabbed her first collegiate goal, sending home a wrist shot in the slot to put SHU ahead, 2-0. Late in the first however, the Pios surrendered their first goal of the series as Tyran Turner was able to send home a loose puck in the crease to cut into the SHU lead, making it a one-goal game after 20 minutes of action. 
 
After a scoreless second period, the Hawks claimed their first lead of the series thanks to quickfire goals of their own, tallying two goals in :30 to grab a 3-2 lead with under 15 minutes to play in regulation. Following a heather McAvoy goal halfway through the frame that put the visitors up, 4-2, the Pios approached a near-comeback but fell short as Isabella Chaput's power-play tally with five minutes left was the final tally of the game with SHU falling, 4-3. 
 
Starting much the same in the series finale, the Pios potted two goals in the opening frame with Sami Bowlby's second tally of the season preceding Brianna Morden's first collegiate goal as SHU headed into the first intermission up, 2-0. The second period saw the Pios gain a three-goal advantage under five minutes into the frame as Kate Helgeson grabbed her first goal of the season to push SHU in the driver's seat. Ella Holm later tallied her first collegiate goal on the power-play as SHU stretched the lead to four with under nine minutes to go in regulation. Backstopping the Pios with 45 saves, including 29 across the final 40 minutes of action, Carly Greene secured the series split as the Red & White secured a 4-0 win. 
 
ON STONEHILL
The Skyhawks (1-4-0, 1-1-0 NEWHA) head into the weekend having split last weekend's conference-opening series against LIU, dropping a close game to the Sharks on Friday, 2-0, before claiming their first win of the season - ending a four-game losing streak to start the season in the progress - with a 3-2 win in the series finale. 
 
In game one, LIU's Jeannie Wallner scored the lone goals of the contest, sending home her first goal of the game inside the first 10 minutes of action before providing the insurance tally over the hallway mark of the third period as LIU took a 2-0 win to open up NEWHA action. In game two, Stonehill's special team's units provided the offensive spark as a power-play goal late in the second period and a shorthanded goal three minutes into the third period gave the Skyhawks a 3-1 advantage early in the third period. A late power-play tally from LIU's Wallner made things interesting late, but Stonehill was able to hold off the Sharks to grab a 3-2 win. 
 
Bailey Feeney leads the Skyhawks in points in the early part of the season having nabbed a goal and an assist in the series finale against LIU. Feeney joins a list of four Skyhawks who have potted a goal this season with Maddison Achtyl, Lily Geist and Josie Mendezoon having lit the lamp once in five games played. In total, nine different players have recorded a point so far this season for Stonehill. 
 
In goal, first year Alexsa Caron has seen the lone action between the pipes for Stonehill, grabbing a 3.40 goals against average and .915 save percentage through her first five collegiate starts. Caron has made 33 or more saves in each of her five starts and tied her career-high in saves with 38 in the finale against LIU. 
 
Having won the NEWHA Postseason Tournament in her first season behind the bench, Lee-J Mirasolo returns for her second season with the Skyhawks, amassing a 22-2-0-2 record in her short tenure. The Skyhawks were slotted in front of SHU in this season's NEWHA Preseason Coaches' Poll in second place as the all-time series between the two sides is currently deadlocked at .500 (3-3-2) with both teams recording wins in the season series in 2023-24.