MANCHESTER, N.H. (January 7, 2020) – Sophomore goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) and the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team opened the second half of the season in style on Tuesday night at Sullivan Arena. Ostrander stopped all 43 shots on her goal and three different players found the back of the net, as the Ravens picked up a 3-0 win on the road at Saint Anselm, despite being outshot 43-17, in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 12-6-0 (8-3-0 NEWHA) and moves into a first-place tie in the NEWHA with Saint Anselm, which falls to 10-7-0 (8-4-0 NEWHA). At worst, the Ravens are assured of a split of the four-game season series with Saint Anselm. Franklin Pierce will look to win the series outright in the final meeting of the season between the two, which is set for Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Franklin Pierce.

Ostrander's 43-save performance marked her third 40-save performance of the season, and was the most in program history by a goaltender who also recorded a shutout. The previous school record for saves in a shutout had been 34, set by Shannon O'Neil '17 in a 7-0 win at William Smith on Jan. 9, 2016. For Ostrander (9-6-0), it was her fourth shutout of the season and the 12^th of her career.

In a period where they were outshot 14-4 and each team rang the post once, the Ravens managed to come away with the only goal of the first stanza, at the 3:56 mark. Senior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) started the play, as she threw the puck towards the net from the middle of the blue line. On the way towards the goal, the shot deflected off the stick of freshman forward Katelyn Brightbill (Annville, Pa.) before hitting the skates of junior forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) at the top of the crease. Massaro was able to find the puck with her stick and slip a pass to the left for freshman forward Ava Kison (Eau Claire, Wis.), who had the quick finish from the bottom of the left circle for her sixth of the season.

An insurance marker late in the second period staked Franklin Pierce to a 2-0 lead heading into the second intermission. From the left point, freshman forward Becca Kniss (Eden Prairie, Minn.) sent the puck to the right point for senior defenseman Hayley Doneghey (North Attleborough, Mass.). Doneghey took a shot from there, which was tipped at the hash marks by freshman forward Cassidy Jones (Stillwater, Minn.), who picked up her first collegiate goal at the 17:07 mark.

The game went without a penalty until nearly the midpoint of the third period, as Saint Anselm sophomore forward Erin Meyers was sent to the box for checking at 9:44. It took Franklin Pierce just eight seconds to cash in on the night's first power-play chance, as the Ravens struck immediately off the faceoff in the right-wing circle. Massaro won the draw clean to her right to Prentiss, who held for a moment at the right half boards. As she held the puck, the Saint Anselm defense left both a lane to the back post and a passing lane for Prentiss across the slot all at the same time. The Ravens did not miss the chance, as Prentiss fired a pass to a streaking Brightbill, who had an easy redirection at the left post for her seventh goal of the campaign, at 9:52.

Senior goaltender Michaela Kane (4-4-0) finished with just 14 saves against 17 shots and suffered the loss in the Saint Anselm crease.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11, when they travel to upstate New York for a pair of non-conference games, against SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam respectively. Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at Roos House in Canton, N.Y. on Friday, and 3 p.m. at Maxcy Ice Arena in Potsdam, N.Y. on Saturday.

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 ice hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (https://www.shopfpuravens.com).