Three-Goal Lead Slips Away as Women’s Ice Hockey Falls at LIU, 4-3
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (December 4, 2021) -- The Franklin Pierce University women's ice hockey team came out like a house afire on Saturday afternoon and built a 3-0 lead through 21 minutes of play. The Ravens would be doused from there though, as home-standing Long Island University had the game level before the second period was through and then struck for the game-winner midway through the third to pull out a 4-3 victory in New England Women's Hockey Alliance play and finish off the weekend sweep. Sophomore Brooke Remington (Scandia, Minn.) scored twice in defeat for the Ravens.
With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 8-6-1 (5-3-0 NEWHA), while LIU improves to 10-7-0 (10-0-0 NEWHA). It marked the first time in program history the Ravens held a three-goal lead in a game they would go on to lose.
It was a dominant first period for Franklin Pierce, which posted a 16-5 advantage in shots and struck twice in a span of 77 seconds midway through the frame. The Ravens found the opener on the power play at 10:09. Following a goalmouth scramble, the puck squirted free and sophomore Claire Casey (Superior, Wis.) tracked it down in the left circle. She sent it up top for freshman Julia Stevens (Minneapolis, Minn.), and the latter's blast from there was deflected out front by Remington for her fifth of the season.
The Ravens would double the lead just over a minute later, at 11:26. Off a broken play on a left-wing faceoff, the puck danced back towards the LIU net. Freshman Tindra Holm took a swing at it with her stick in an attempt to clear it from danger, but instead knocked it straight to junior forward Katelyn Brightbill (Silver Spring, Md.), who was crashing in from the left wing. Brightbill took advantage of the situation and put home her third of the year in short order.
Franklin Pierce potted another one just 56 seconds into the second. Sophomore Emilie Prive (Morrisville, Vt.) and freshman Mikayla Kelley (Eagan, Minn.) teamed to gain possession in the right-wing corner, and got the puck back to the right point for Remington. Remington took a long shot from there, which may have been deflected by the defense en route. Either way, the puck wound up in the back of the net as Remington notched her first career multiple-goal game.
Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there for the Ravens, who were outshot 31-15 over the final two periods, as LIU came storming back. Things were level at 3-3 after 40 minutes, as freshman Bri Eid put a shot through traffic and home from the point at 8:32 on the power play, freshman Jeannie Wallner snuck one home on a partial breakaway at 12:46, and junior Carrigan Umpherville banked one in off the defense at 16:13.
The Sharks then had the only goal of the third period, which would hold up as the game-winning tally. Wallner and sophomore Ashley Morrow combined to work the puck into the slot for junior Megan Bouveur, who took an off-balance shot from between the hash marks. Sophomore goaltender Suzette Faucher (Middleton, Wis.) got a big piece of the shot, but the puck managed to trickle behind her and across the goal line, as Bouveur picked up her eighth of the campaign at 10:46.
Faucher (5-2-1) finished with 32 saves against 36 shots and suffered the loss in the Franklin Pierce crease. Holm (8-4-0) stopped 28 of 31 in front of the LIU net in the victory.
The Ravens have three non-conference games left before the winter break, and will be back home to host Dartmouth at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena.