SHELTON, Conn. (January 31, 2020) – Despite boasting the league's most productive power play, the Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team came up empty in eight chances with the man-advantage on Friday afternoon. Instead, the Ravens were limited to just 20 shots, and were held off the scoreboard entirely at Sports Center of Connecticut. Sacred Heart managed just 21 shots of its own, but did find the net three times to deal visiting Franklin Pierce a 3-0 loss to open a pivotal New England Women's Hockey Alliance weekend series.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 17-8-0 (10-5-0 NEWHA), while first-place Sacred Heart improves to 16-10-0 (13-2-0 NEWHA). Sacred Heart has now taken two of the first three in the four-game season series. The two teams will meet again at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Shelton to round out the quartet.

Sacred Heart struck for the only goal of the first period, which would stand as the game's only goal through much of the proceedings. The eventual game-winner came at the 9:45 mark of the opening stanza, off the stick of senior defenseman Olivia Bryant. The co-captain's third of the season came off of assists from freshman forward Sophie Lupone and junior forward Julianna Lynch.

The game would go without another goal until the third period. Meanwhile, Sacred Heart successfully killed off a trio of penalties, which included 59 seconds of two-man advantage for Franklin Pierce, in the first half of the second period. Just after the midpoint of the game, at the 12:07 mark, the Pioneers were awarded a penalty shot but could not extend their lead, as senior forward Maddie Bishop missed the net on the attempt.

The all-important insurance goal came at 5:53 of the third period, as Bishop, who finished with a game-high six shots, finally got on the board. Her ninth of the season was assisted by sophomore defenseman Kelly Solak and put Franklin Pierce in a 2-0 hole.

The Ravens would have two more power-play chances in the final five minutes, which included another 65 seconds of two-man advantage, but they could not solve Sacred Heart sophomore goaltender Frankie Sanchez. Instead, the Pioneers cashed in an empty-net goal while shorthanded at 17:10 to seal the 3-0 victory. Sophomore forward Anna Klein notched her 11^th goal of the season, while the team's leading scorer, senior forward Jayne Lewis, added the lone assist.

Sophomore goaltender Emme Ostrander (Westborough, Mass.) stopped 18 of 20 shots and suffered the loss (13-8-0) in the Franklin Pierce net. Sanchez (14-10-0) turned aside all 20 shots on her goal to post her first collegiate shutout in the Sacred Heart crease.

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).