FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Fresh off a four-game homestand, the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team hits the road for the remainder of the month, starting its season-long five-game road trip with a weekend outing at Saint Michael's College this weekend on Friday, November 17, and Saturday, November 18. Puck drop from Cairns arena is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday's matinee is scheduled for 3 p.m.  
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers had a hard-fought series against a tough opponent in Stonehill last weekend, splitting the weekend series with a close 1-0 loss in the opener before scoring four-straight in game two en route to a 4-2 comeback win. 
 
On Friday, the Skyhawks opened the scoring halfway through the first period as a shot from the point was deflected past netminder Jillian Petruno who was making her third consecutive start in net for the Pios. SHU came close to finding the equalizing goal in the final period, hemming the Skyhawks in their own zone for a majority of the final 20 minutes of play but could not solve Stonehill's Eve Stone as the Skyhawks escaped with a 1-0 win. 
 
Saturday's affair started out with a flare as the visitors gained a 2-0 lead that they held until the halfway point in the second period as Iyla Ryskamp broke the SHU scoreless run with a highlight-reel, solo goal to cut the deficit in half. With the momentum, Ryskamp knotted the game, 2-2, five minutes into the period before the Pios scored twice in the final six minutes to earn the comeback win. 
 
ON SAINT MICHAEL'S
The Purple Knights head into the weekend still searching for their first victory of the season having dropped 10 straight games to open the 2023-24 campaign, including a 5-2 loss to the Pioneers in the season opener on September 29. SMC dropped both of its contests last weekend on the road at Assumption and return home this weekend after six-straight road contests in the previous month. 
 
Mikaela Langbacka leads the Purple Knights with three goals and five points on the year, including scoring two goals in the first meeting between the two squads earlier this season. Sophomore Elisabeth Gerebi is second on the team with four points while being tied for the team lead with two assists. Sophomore Annika Lavender leads Saint Michael's between the pipes, posting a .917 save percentage and 3.65 goals against average in her seven appearances this year. 
 
Chris Donovan leads the Purple Knights in his 22^nd season at the helm. SMC went 2-26-4 last season, earning its lone NEWHA win of the season against Saint Anselm on February 24, 2023. 
 
RISING RYSKAMP
Ryskamp's two goals in SHU's comeback victory over Stonehill were her first points of the season after having been held off of the scoresheet in the first 12 games of the campaign. The two-goal performance was also her third multi-goal outing in her collegiate career after posting a two-goal outing almost a year to the day on November 12, 2022, in what was a 6-4 win over Stonehill. 
 
The Orono, Minn. native has been a staple depth forward for the Pioneers in her sophomore season after posting an eight-goal, 12-point campaign last year as a first year. Ryskamp scored her first collegiate goal and earned her first multi-point game in SHU's 7-1 win at Post on October 4, 2022.