Jan. 11, 2006

Final Stats

South Burlington, VT - Senior Sarah Turbert (Norwalk, CT) and sophomore Sarah Hickman (Amherst, MA) each recorded hat tricks as the Pioneer women's hockey team scored seven goals in the third period en route to an easy 11-1 win over St. Michael's Wednesday at Cairns Arena. The seven goal output was the largest single period scoring surge for the Pioneers this season.

Saint Michael's controlled puck possession over the first five minutes of the opening period, but were unable to capitalize on a scoring opportunity. At the 5:08 mark, sophomore Katelin McLaughlin (Hingham, Mass./Williston Northampton) put the visitors on the board, sneaking the puck past Purple Knights goaltender Annice Mason after rattling off a series of shots that could not be frozen by the assistant captain.

Just 24 seconds after the Pioneers' first goal, junior Michelle Panella (Marlboro, NJ) found freshman Gina Arnone (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) streaking down the right boards, approaching Mason's left side. Arnone closed out the period's scoring, taking a slap shot from the far side that sailed past Mason, putting Sacred Heart up 2-0 going into the first intermission for the second day in a row.

St. Michael's senior Michele Miaskiewicz cut the deficit in half 7:32 into the second period. The senior, who is in search of her 40th career assist, which would put her past Meg Lyons '05 for sole possession of the all-time program record, scored a power play goal with 55 seconds remaining on senior Jane Auxier's (Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman H.S.) holding penalty, thanks to assists from sophomore Gabrielle Bourgeois (New Haven, Vt./Middlebury Union) and junior Melissa Gagne (Eliot, Maine/Berwick Academy).

Hickman put Sacred Heart back up by two, receiving a pass from freshman Jaclyn Rideout (Wilmington, Mass./Lawrence Academy) while skating cross ice in front of Mason, sending a wrist shot into the top left corner of the net. Just under two minutes later, Hickman skated into the Saint Michael's zone and put the puck in the same spot, once again thanks to an assist from Rideout.

Sacred Heart erupted for seven goals in the final frame, five of which came over the last 5:19 of the game. Panella scored two of them, to add to her team lead in points, and Turbert recorded a hat-trick in just 4:36. Hickman and freshman Whitney Dziama (Walpole, Mass./Noble and Greenough) also had a productive final period, each earning two points.

The Purple Knights, who lost their eighth consecutive game, have squared off against the Pioneers more times than any other opponent in the program's six year history, and have yet to record a victory in 12 all-time meetings against the Division I school.

The Pioneers (6-8-3) are back in action Friday night when they host Holy Cross. Game time at the Milford Ice Pavilion is set for 7:00 pm.