BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Peyton Bennetts' first collegiate goal proved to be the game-winner as the Sacred Heart University women's hockey team began its first road trip against New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) foes, Stonehill, with a dramatic finish, defeating the Skyhawks, 4-3, on Friday evening.
Having earned a series split last week, the Pios came out as the aggressor in Friday's affair, immediately hemming the Skyhawks in their own zone through the first few minutes of action. With just under two minutes of elapsed time in the first, the Pios found the breakthrough with
Grayson Limke wiring home her first goal of the season.
Following a natural zone faceoff, the Pioneers funneled the puck from their own zone off the boards as
Sydney Antonakis found her sister, Alyssa, streaking along the right wing as the Pioneers found themselves on two-on-one toward the Stonehill end. With Limke skating down the left wing, A. Antonakis sent a cross-ice feed that Limke corralled and wired past STC's Alexsa Caron to put the Pios up, 1-0, less than two minutes into the opening period.
Though it was one-way traffic in favor of the Pios in the first five minutes, Stonehill got their first opportunity to level the score with a power-play opportunity as Limke was sent to the box for a tripping minor. Just over a minute into the advantage, Lily Geist was able to cash in for the Skyhawks, sending home a shot from the slot that beat the shoulder of Greene to level the scoreline, 1-1.
Just over a minute later, the Pios grabbed another odd-person advantage with
Bria Holm beating out a defender along the end boards just inside the Skyhawks zone. With
Campbell Heger skating alone in the high slot, Holm wired a pass to Heger who sent a wrist shot past Caron to put SHU back up, 2-1.
The Pios almost doubled the lead in quick succession, pestering Caron off the ensuing faceoff with
Kate Helgeson's wrist shot being snared by Caron, stymying the Pioneer forward on her best chance of the first period seven minutes into the frame.
Following the ebb-and-flow of the period, Stonehill once again found themselves with a power play late in the period with
Ally Cohen having been the culprit of a hooking minor. Nearing the end of the power play, the Skyhawks grabbed another game-tying goal on the power play with Maddison Achtyl sending home a net-front tip that beat the shoulder of Greene to push the score level, 2-2.
Neither side was able to light the lamp in the remaining five minutes as the period expired with the teams deadlocked in a 2-2 tie.
In the second period, a quintessential war of attrition took place. With the Pioneers holding a slim 9-7 shot advantage courtesy of two unsuccessful power play's, SHU finally broke through Caron with under three minutes to go in the frame. Having hemmed the Skyhawks in their own zone after a failed clearance, the Pios went to work with
Isabella Chaput putting home an
Ella Holm wrist shot from the slot to give the Pios a 3-2 lead.
With time winding down in the period, Stonehill grabbed their third game-tying goal with Gracie Sacca sending home a give-and-go on the rush to make it a 3-3 game. Though the Pios threatened in the waning moments of the middle frame, Caron stood tall as the teams headed into their respective locker rooms in a 3-3 tie.
In a back-and-forth third period, the Pioneers continued to hold the Skyhawks at bay, forcing the majority of chances to the outside as the SHU defense weathered the storm. Having killed off the third penalty of the night, the Pios grabbed their third opportunity on the power play late in the frame with an opportunity to find the game-winner.
With possession in the offensive zone, the Pioneers cycled along the far wing, searching for a shooting lane. With sophomore defender
Peyton Bennetts having circled along the half boards, Bennetts sent a pass toward the slot that deflected off a Skyhawk defender and into the back of the net to put the Pios out in front with their first power-play tally of the game with under two minutes to play.
Knowing the Skyhawks would attempt to rally as they had the entire game up to that point, the SHU defense held strong in the waning moments, stymying the home side on multiple occasions as Greene 12-saves in the third gave the Pios an eventual 4-3 win on the road.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Limke's first-period tally is her first of the season and fifth of her young collegiate career. The goal is her first since scoring in both ties at Stonehill last season.
- Heger's tally is the first of her collegiate career in her 11th career game after missing a majority of her first year campaign.
- Chaput's second-period goal is her second of the season and her second goal in the last three games.
- Bennett's third-period strike is her first collegiate goal and her ninth collegiate point after registering eight assists last season.
- Greene picked up her second-consecutive win in Friday's contest, with the 31 saves being her second-most in a game this season.
- First year Reese Pascucci played in her first collegiate game during Friday's win.
Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action tomorrow on Saturday, October 19 as the Red & White searches for their first sweep of the season and their first in conference play. Puck drop from Bridgewater Ice Arena is slated for 1 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
