Early Goals Lead Women’s Ice Hockey to 4-1 Win Over Saint Michael’s
Posted: Nov 11, 2016

Early Goals Lead Women’s Ice Hockey to 4-1 Win Over Saint Michael’s

WINCHENDON, Mass (November 11, 2016) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team scored twice in the first seven minutes on Friday night, en route to a 4-1 win over Saint Michael's in New England Hockey Conference play at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Freshman forward Kayla Trujillo (Pueblo, Colo.) scored twice, while senior forward Marisa Ketterman (Palmer, Alaska) added a pair of assists.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 4-1-0 (3-1-0 NEHC) and has won four in a row, while Saint Michael's falls to 0-5-0 (0-3-0 NEHC).

Franklin Pierce got on the board with a pair of quick goals in the first period to take a lead it would never relinquish. Trujillo fired the opening salvo at the 4:31 mark, when she put a shot through traffic from the middle of the blue line, which rang off the post and wound up in the net for her second goal of the season. Freshman forward Alli Sugar (Canton, Conn.) and Ketterman chipped in the assists.

Just 2:28 later, the Ravens would strike for a shorthanded tally to make it a 2-0 game. Senior forward Michelle Holmes (Goffstown, N.H.) forced a turnover from the power-play unit at her own blue line and rushed the other way, up the left wing, on a partial breakaway. Meanwhile, senior forward Alysha Raimo (Fitchburg, Mass.) was steaming down the center of the ice towards the net. Holmes snapped a shot from the left circle, with Saint Michael's senior goaltender Abby Burke making the save on the play's initial shot. However, the rebound fell at the right post, and nobody was able to back-check to slow Raimo, who had an easy finish for her second goal of the campaign, at the 6:59 mark.

Franklin Pierce would find two more goals in the second period to open the lead up to 4-0. Early in the period, senior defenseman Katie Flynn (Sandwich, Mass.) created a partial 2-on-1 rush in the offensive zone, when she worked the puck to freshman forward Meg Gilbride (Braintree, Mass.) in the left-wing circle. Gilbride found a passing lane into the slot for senior forward Lanie Matsumoto (Fort Collins, Colo.), who put a quick shot into the right side of the net at the 2:05 mark to score her third goal of the season and make it 3-0.

Trujillo would make it a 4-0 game at the 10:32 mark, when she jammed home a rebound from the top of the crease for her second goal of the night, a power-play marker, and her first career multiple-goal game. Ketterman and freshman defenseman Delaney Guimont (Bedford, N.H.) had the helpers on the play.

Saint Michael's tallied its only goal of the game with just 62 seconds to play in the third period, at the 18:58 mark. The Purple Knights had a 3-on-1 rush into the offensive zone. Franklin Pierce senior goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) would stop the initial surge towards the net on the play, but the play then devolved into a goalmouth scramble. Before O'Neil could recover, junior forward Ashley Dineen was able to stuff home her first goal of the year. Freshman defenseman Alissa Sullivan and senior forward Athena Akiki picked up assists on the game's final goal.

O'Neil (4-1-0) finished with 12 saves against 13 shots on goal to pick up the win in the crease for Franklin Pierce. Burke (0-3-0) stopped 27 of 31 shots at the other end of the ice in a losing effort between the pipes for Saint Michael's.

The Ravens return to the ice on Saturday, Nov. 12, when they remain home to host Nichols in an NEHC contest. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).