FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Continuing its best start to a season since the 2017-18 campaign, the Sacred Heart University women's hockey team hits the ice for a pair of New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) matchups against Assumption this weekend. Puck drop for Friday's affair from Worcester Ice Center is slated for 8 p.m. while Saturday's matchup from Martire Family Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneer.com. 
 
ORIGINAL SIX
SHU's 5-3 start to the season is the best start for the Pioneers since the 2017-18 season when the Red & White went 5-3 through the first six games of the season. SHU ended the season with a program-record 27 wins (27-6-2) and claimed the inaugural NEWHA Postseason Championship via a 3-1 win over one-seeded Saint Anselm. 
 
First year forward Ella Holm enters this weekend's matchup on a career-long, six-game point streak after tallying an assist in both games against LIU last weekend. 
 
With shutouts in three of the last six games, the Pios rank fifth in the nation in team shutouts (3). Senior goaltender Carly Greene's two shutouts during October currently ranks her top in the conference and fifth in the nation in that regard. 
 
The Red & White currently boast the NEWHA's top scoring defense (1.88) and top team goals-against average (1.86) with both marks sitting just outside the top 10 in the nation. 
 
Greene currently ranks first in the nation in save percentage (.971) and second in goals-against average (1.11) this season, grabbing SHU's first-ever Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Award after being named Goaltender of the Month for October. 
 
With two power-play goals last weekend, the Pios have tallied power-play goals in five of the last six matchups and rank first in the conference with six goals on the advantage this season. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
Special teams played an important role for the Pioneers during last weekend's series against LIU as the Pios took a split against the reigning NEWHA Regular Season champions, dropping game one on the road on Friday, 3-2, before grinding out a 1-0 win in the finale at home on Saturday. 
 
In game one, neither team could find the back of the net as an ebb-and-flow first period involved both goaltenders – LIU's Abbie Thompson and SHU's Carly Greene – pitching shutouts in the first 20 minutes of action. In the second period, the Pioneers sent two-straight pucks past Thompson after the hosts had taken a 1-0 lead early in the frame, taking a 2-1 lead off of goals from Peyton Bennetts and Isabella Chaput into the second intermission. Though SHU held the momentum heading into the final frame, LIU grabbed two quick goals to begin the third as the Pios could not find a late equalizer, falling 3-2. 
 
In game two, both teams played a hard-fought game with Thompson and Petruno pitching shutouts through the first two periods of action. In the third period, the Pios finally found the lone breakthrough of the game with Isabella Chaput's power-play goal providing the insurance needed for a series split, taking a 1-0 victory to close out the weekend. 
 
ON ASSUMPTION
The Greyhounds (2-6-2, 2-3-1 NEWHA) enter this weekend's matchup having grabbed their first two wins of the season via a sweep over Post last weekend. Assumption nabbed a game one victory with two goals in the final two period to take home a 2-1 win before finishing off the Eagles with a four-goal third period in the series finale, grabbing a 7-3 win on Saturday evening. 
 
Sophomore Teagan Vaughan leads the Greyhounds in points with five through the first 10 games of the season, all of which coming via assists as she also leads the squad in that category. Assumption currently has a four-way tie atop the team lead in goals with Emma Gurnell, Kiersten Browning, Jenna Chaplain and Caroline Lilley all having snagged two goals this season. Gurnell, Browning and Lilley combined for four of ASM's nine goals last weekend. 
 
In goal, Carissa Mudrak earned both starts last week for ASM, grabbing 47 saves during the series against the Eagles. The graduate student boasts a 3.33 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in her six appearances this s4esaon. Jadyn Weiser has also seen time in net for the Greyhounds, posting a 1.91 goals-against average and .948 save percentage during her four appearances this season. 
 
Joe Grossman leads the Greyhounds in his first season with the program after spending the past seven years as an assistant coach at both Harvard and Stonehill. Grossman, who was with the Crimson from 2017-2023, was part of Stonehill's 2024 NEWHA Tournament Championship team last season as the Skyhawks claimed the NEWHA's lone berth in the NCAA DI Women's Ice Hockey Tournament. SHU took the first of four meetings last season with a 1-0 win at Martire Family Arena before the Greyhounds struck back with three-straight wins over SHU as ASM currently leads the all-time series 3-1. 
 
YOUNG GUNS
Through eight games this season, a trio of underclassmen lead the Pioneers in points with sophomore Isabella Chaput taking the team lead in points with seven entering the weekend. First year forwards Ella Holm and Ally Cohen follow Chaput in points, sitting in second and fourth on the team, respectively. 
 
Chaput, who owns the team lead in goals (4), grabbed goals in both games against LIU last weekend and has tallied a goal in three of the last four games. Holm sits tied for the team lead in assists (4) while sitting second on the Pios in points (6) after tallying her first collegiate assist and goal in the series against Saint Anselm and has since recorded points in the last six games. Cohen is fourth on the team in points and tied for second on the team in assists (3) after grabbing the primary helper on Chaput's game-winning goal in game two against LIU.