Parker Nets Natural Hat Trick, Women’s Ice Hockey Sweeps Away Post, 5-0

SHELTON, Conn. (October 13, 2018) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team completed a season-opening, weekend sweep of Post on the road in style on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore forward Haley Parker (Londonderry, N.H.) scored three straight goals – including a pair of shorthanded tallies – across the first and second periods, to record the fourth natural hat trick in program history, as the Ravens rolled to a 5-0 victory in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play at Sports Center of Connecticut.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 2-0-0 (2-0-0 NEWHA), while Post falls to 0-4-0 (0-2-0 NEWHA).  The two teams will conclude their four-game season series on the final weekend of the regular season, when Post will visit Franklin Pierce on Feb. 15-16.

The hat trick was the 10^th in program history, as well as the first career three-goal game for Parker. Parker became just the second player in school history to score multiple shorthanded goals in the same season, and was the first to do so in the same game.

First, it would be sophomore forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) who opened the scoring with the eventual game-winning goal, just 13 seconds into the afternoon. Sophomore defenseman Carolyn Drowne (Bridgewater, Mass.) and junior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) provided the assists on Massaro's second goal of the season. It was the fastest game-opening goal in program history, and easily eclipsed the previous record of 30 seconds, set just last season by Alex Brolsma '18, against Post on Feb. 17, 2018.

Parker got her personal party started at 13:03, as she put home her second goal of the campaign, with the lone assist credited to Prentiss. Parker followed up with her second career shorthanded tally, just 2:42 later, at the 15:45 mark, unassisted. Parker completed the natural hat trick just 37 seconds into the second stanza, with another shorthanded goal, while Prentiss dished out her third assist of the afternoon.

With Parker's three goals spanning just 7:34, it marked the fastest hat trick in program history.

Prentiss got on the board herself with a power-play marker later in the second period to cap the scoring. Making just her second career start, junior goaltender Jessica Strack (Reading, Mass.) picked up her first career point with an assist, as she sent the puck to junior defenseman Katie Neuburger (Fayetteville, N.Y.), who set up the first goal of the campaign for Prentiss, at 16:26.

Strack became just the second goaltender in program history to tally an assist, as she joined Amelea Gray, who posted one in the program's inaugural season, at home against Sacred Heart on Feb. 15, 2013.

Strack (1-0-0) finished with a 20-save shutout to tally her first collegiate victory in net for the Ravens. Freshman Kristin Smith (0-1-0) stopped 56 of 61 shots at the other end of the ice in a losing effort for Post.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Oct. 26, when they travel to Plymouth State for an NEWHA contest. Opening faceoff is set for 6 p.m. at Hanaway Rink in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). 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 hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).