Sacred Heart
12-12-2
Neumann
5-17-1
Fontaine Blanks Neumann on Senior Day
2/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
SHELTON, Conn. – Senior goalie Amanda Fontaine ended her regular season career with a 30 saves and a shutout of Neumann in Sacred Heart's 3-0 blanking of the Knights on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Sports Center of Connecticut. Fellow seniors Casey Stathopoulos and Hanna Skelley each recorded an assist, while freshman Katie Stueve finished with her first career two-point game, as the Pioneers finish the regular season an even 12-12-2.
It was Stueve that provided the break through with a spectacular individual effort 6:39 into the second period. The freshman skated into the zone on the right side before getting to the front of the net. She then sent the goalie the wrong way with a fake to the right before crossing net and easily sliding the puck into the goal from the left for her third goal of the year. Amie Varano found Stueve for the assist, moving her into a tie for the team-lead for defenseman with five.
SHU doubled the lead late in the second, as Stathopoulos and Skelley assisted on the insurance score. Stathopoulos initially won the faceoff to Skelley, who slid it back to Stathopoulos on the right side. Stathopoulos then sent the puck in front of net to a waiting Taylor Moreland, who deflected the pass in for goal number 12 on the season, just one behind Stathopoulos for the team-lead. The assists were number 14 and eight for the two seniors, ranking first and third on the team.
Fontaine's best save of the day may have came on Neumann's first shot of the third period. Bek Lucas, who netted a hat trick for the Knights last night, had a point blank breakaway opportunity denied by Fontaine less than a minute out of the locker room. Her busiest period, the senior made a total of 12 stops in the final twenty minutes before Cassandra Hanlon put an exclamation point on the victory with a score in the final minute. With plenty of room in the point, the sophomore slapped home her team-leading fourth goal from a defenseman. Stueve tallied her second point of the afternoon with the assist along with Carly Radovich.
Neumann did outshoot Sacred Heart, 31-24, but was hurt by the fact that it went 0-6 on the power play. SHU converted one of its five opportunities with Hanlon's late score. Justina Mayr made 21 saves in the defeat.
In addition to Fontaine, Stathopoulos and Skelley, SHU also honored seniors Julie Dobiac, Heather Daley, Nicole Magee and Megan Ofner.
Sacred Heart will turn its attention to the NEHC Open Tournament, which takes place at Saint Anselm on Saturday and Sunday, February 27-28. The Pioneers could potentially play in, and host, the First Round game on Wednesday, February 24.
