WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 25, 2020) – The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team piled up 41 shots on Saturday afternoon, but the barrage yielded just one goal. Saint Michael's senior goaltender Vika Simons finished the day with 40 saves, and a shorthanded goal in the second period stood as the difference at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, as the visiting Purple Knights dealt the Ravens a 2-1 loss in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 16-7-0 (9-4-0 NEWHA) and sees its season-best winning streak snapped at five games. Saint Michael's improves to 4-16-4 (3-12-1 NEWHA) with the victory. The two teams split the weekend series and the game also wrapped up the four-game season series, which Franklin Pierce won, 3-1-0.

Simons (4-15-3) was at her best in the first period, when she was under siege throughout. The Ravens chalked up a 19-10 shots advantage in the opening frame, but Simons turned all 19 aside, and Saint Michael's would leave the stanza with a 1-0 lead as a result. The lone goal came off a faceoff play in the right-wing circle. After a clean win on the draw, the Purple Knights worked the puck to the left point for senior defenseman Torrie Gray. Gray's initial shot was stopped by Franklin Pierce sophomore goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.), who also saved the follow-up chance from freshman forward Ella Saracco right at the top of the crease. The third chance would prove too much though, as sophomore forward Jenna Harrison put home her first collegiate goal at the right post at the 14:56 mark.

Franklin Pierce's NEWHA-leading power play (30.2%) would strike once on Saturday (1-for-7), but also came up empty on five chances through the first two periods. The power-play unit would also yield a shorthanded goal to Saint Michael's in the second frame, which stood as the game-winner. Junior defenseman Courtney Kelly took control in her own end and backhanded the puck out of the zone, down the right-wing side of the ice. Junior forward Maddie Gervais chased the puck down on the offensive side of the Franklin Pierce blue line and found herself on a partial breakaway. From the middle of the circle, she snapped a shot over the glove shoulder of Ostrander and into the top of the net for her sixth of the season, at 7:10.

Franklin Pierce would get one back, on the man-advantage, just past the midway point of the third period. From the middle of the blue line, freshman forward Stefanie Caban (Fitchburg, Mass.) sent the puck into the right circle for senior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.). Prentiss centered for freshman forward Ava Kison (Eau Claire, Wis.) between the hash marks, and Kison tried to fire a one-timer, but largely fanned on the attempt. Instead, the puck trickled towards the bottom of the right circle, where Prentiss pounced on it and salted away her 13^th goal of the campaign, at 10:55.

Franklin Pierce later got Ostrander to the bench for the extra attacker for much of the final two minutes, but Simons made two final saves, her 39^th and 40^th of the day, to finish off the 2-1 win for Saint Michael's.

Ostrander (12-7-0) finished with 23 saves against 25 shots and suffered the loss in the Franklin Pierce net.

The Ravens return to the ice on Tuesday, Jan. 28, when they remain home to host intrastate rival Saint Anselm in an NEWHA contest. Game time is set for 8 p.m. at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.

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).