Prentiss Notches School Record, Women’s Ice Hockey Steamrolls Buffalo State, 6-1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Buffalo State (1-6-0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Franklin Pierce (8-3-0) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
WINCHENDON, Mass. (November 22, 2019) – The first period went scoreless on Friday night at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena, but the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team took care of Buffalo State handily over the final 40 minutes. Senior defenseman Bridgette Prentiss (Buffalo, N.Y.) tallied four points (1-3-4) against her hometown school, and the Ravens used a four-goal third period to pull away for a 6-1 win over the visiting Bengals in non-conference play. Prentiss' third point of the night was the 66th of her career, making her the program's all-time leading scorer among defensemen (22-45-67).
With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 8-3-0, while Buffalo State falls to 1-6-0. The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena to wrap up the weekend series.
Friday night was the front end of a weekend where the Ravens, along with Franklin Pierce's men's team, are raising money to benefit the Heart Brothers Foundation. The foundation supports heart failure patients by providing funds for lodging, transportation, meals and other needs. To date, Franklin Pierce has raised more than $6000, and head coach David Stockdale presented a Heart Brothers Foundation volunteer with a check for the proceeds thus far during a first-intermission ceremony.
The game was still scoreless at said first intermission, but the Ravens needed just 3:46 to get the scoring started in the second period. Senior defenseman Delaney Guimont (Bedford, N.H.) sent a pass ahead into the neutral zone for sophomore forward Bridget Fagan (Millis, Mass.), who carried into the offensive end on the left side. In the circle, she dropped a pass for senior forward Kelsey Holmes (Warwick, R.I.), who took the puck into the corner. Holmes then slipped a return centering pass for Fagan, who put home her second goal of the season.
The Ravens doubled the lead to 2-0 with a power-play marker at the 14:09 mark, just eight seconds into a five-minute major, which would stand as the game-winning goal. Junior forward Marissa Massaro (Brockton, Mass.) won a faceoff in the right circle back to Prentiss, who returned the puck to Massaro low on the right-wing side. Massaro found a lane to fire a pass across the slot to freshman forward Katelyn Brightbill (Annville, Pa.), who buried a one-time shot for her fourth goal of the campaign.
Buffalo State would strike for a shorthanded goal at 16:43, to cut the gap to 2-1 before the major expired. Senior forward Natasha Steinle gained possession on a rebound in her own end and fired the puck out of the zone, off the right-wing boards. Fellow senior forward Lila Toczek used her speed to track the puck down and found herself on a breakaway. She ultimately snapped a shot into the top-right corner for her first goal of the year.
The Ravens poured in four goals in the third to win going away. Freshman forward Becca Kniss (Eden Prairie, Minn.) started things just 49 seconds into the stanza. She was gifted the puck just outside the right post and popped a shot into the roof of the net for her fourth goal of the season.
Franklin Pierce's final three goals came in a span of just 2:20. On the power play at 7:52, Massaro banked a sharp angle shot off the goaltender and in from low on the right-wing side for her third of the year, off assists from Prentiss and freshman defenseman Stefanie Caban (Fitchburg, Mass.).
Prentiss notched the record-setting point with a goal of her own at 8:18, her fifth of the season, off of a faceoff win in the right circle. Holmes won the draw to Fagan, who touched it back to Prentiss for the shot from the point. The 66th point of Prentiss' career allowed her to surpass Sarah Sheils '16 (24-41-65) as the program's all-time leading scorer among defensemen.
Finally, Prentiss capped her four-point night with an assist on the fifth goal of the year for junior forward Haley Parker (Londonderry, N.H.). Kniss won possession on the right-wing boards and sent the puck back to the right point for Prentiss. Prentiss' shot from there was tipped out front by Parker to close out the game's scoring.
Sophomore goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) made 16 saves against 17 shots over the opening 50:12 to pick up the win (6-3-0) for Franklin Pierce. Junior Kelly Turney (Fort Gratiot, Mich.) stopped the only shot she faced over the final 9:48.
Junior goaltender Bri Gawronski (1-6-0) was peppered with 51 shots and made 46 saves over 50:12 at the other end for Buffalo State, as Franklin Pierce outshot the Bengals, 60-18. Freshman Soleil Archambeault took over for the final 9:48 and stopped all nine shots on her goal.
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).
