Power play strikes twice

WINCHENDON, Mass. (January 10, 2015) – Junior defenseman Sarah Sheils (Pittsburgh, Pa.) scored twice, junior forward Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) had a goal and an assist and freshman forward Hailee Craig (Canton, Mich.) had two assists on Saturday afternoon to lead the way for the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team in a 4-0 win over William Smith in non-conference play at the Jason Ritchie Ice Arena. Sophomore goaltender Shannon O'Neil (Tewksbury, Mass.) made 23 saves to post her first shutout of the season, as well as the second of her career.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-2-1 (5-1-0 ECAC East) and sweeps the two-game weekend series from first-year program William Smith, which falls to 2-10-1 (1-6-1 ECAC West).

The Ravens struck twice in the second half of the first period on Saturday afternoon to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission and never looked back. At the 11:44 mark, on the power play, Doucette put home her sixth goal of the season, as she finished from just outside the crease on a feed from Craig, who was below the goal line on the right-wing side. Junior forward Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) picked up an assist on the play as well.

Franklin Pierce struck again at 17:18, as the initial shot on the play came from junior defenseman Samantha Bureau (Ottawa, Ontario) from the right point. Her shot was knocked down by the defense, but the rebound wound up with fellow junior defenseman Hayley Arnold (Barre, Vt.) at the middle of the point. Arnold immediately sent the puck back towards the net and picked the top-right corner to beat William Smith freshman goaltender Maggie Salmon. Craig -- who now has four points through her first two career games -- chipped in the other assist on Arnold's third goal of the campaign.

The Ravens would score once each in the second and third periods to push the lead all the way to the 4-0 final. The Franklin Pierce power play, which put together a 3-for-8 weekend to start the season's second half, struck again at the 1:50 mark of the middle stanza to make it 3-0. After a give-and-go with freshman forward Alex Brolsma (Bloomington, Minn.) on the left side, junior forward Marisa Ketterman (Palmer, Alaska) found a lane to slip a pass across the slot. The puck and a cutting Sheils both arrived just outside the right post at the same time and Sheils one-timed the pass to the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

Sheils found the net again for her first career multiple-goal game at 10:46 of the third period to cap the afternoon's scoring, amid a scramble in the offensive end. Doucette added the lone assist, to complete her fourth multiple-point game of the season, on Sheils' fifth of the season.

O'Neil stopped all 23 shots the Herons sent her way to pick up the win (4-2-1) and author the team's fourth shutout of the campaign. Salmon made 32 saves against 36 shots at the other end of the ice and took the loss (0-5-0) in goal for William Smith.

The Ravens return to the ice on Friday, Jan. 16, when they remain home to host Saint Michael's in an ECAC East contest. Opening faceoff is set for 8 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' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).