NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team competed but could not hold off the opposition, falling to #13/12 Yale in the opening round of the 2023 Nutmeg Classic on Friday afternoon, 10-0.
Looking to avenge Tuesday night's loss, the Pioneers came out swinging for the fences to try and find the first goal.
Sophie Lupone and
Cassie Nevers had the best opportunities in the first five minutes of action but could not find the back of the net as Yale netminder Anna Phillips stopped both chances for SHU, accumulating three saves in the opening period.
After the Pios had their chances to start the game, Yale connected for their first goal of the frame on a two-on-one halfway through the first period as Stephanie Stainton was able to deke ast an outstretched
Carly Greene to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs were able to double their lead in the waning moments of the opening period as Carina DiAntonio was able to funnel home a shot from the low slot past Greene to make it 2-0 Yale with 1:10 to go as the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead and an 11-3 shot advantage into the first intermission.
Both teams battled through the early going of the second period but could not establish any clear chances as the hosts kept their 2-0 lead as the game approached the halfway point. The Pioneers, however, had their best opportunities of the night on the power play after Avery Chesek was sent off for hooking.
Kerryn O'Connell and
Amelia Lynch both had great chances in front but could not steer either of them past Phillips.
With just over six minutes to go in the second period, Yale capitalized on an extended shift in the Pioneers zone as Anja Trummer found a loose puck in the low slot, sending a backhand from the low slot past the glove of Greene and into the corner of the net to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
After SHU was unable to convert on its second power play of the game, the Bulldogs were able to double their second period goal total as Vita Poniatovskaia became the fourth different Bulldog goal scorer, sending a wrist shot from the hash marks past the glove of Greene as the hosts accrued a 4-0 lead they saw into the second intermission.
The hosts continued to find their scoring groove early in the third period, stretching lead to five after Jordan Ray finished off a nifty play in the SHU zone. Having corralled the puck in the corner, Ray knifed through the SHU defense and sent a backhand past Greene and into the back of the net as Yale made it 5-0 with just over 15 minutes to go.
Yale continued to pressure through the frame, scoring twice in under three minutes as Stainton earned her second of the game off a scrum in front of the net, while Gracie Gilkyson tallied a shorthanded goal on the counterattack to give Yale a 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs tallied three more, including two goals within 33 seconds of each other, as the Pios fell in the first game of the Nutmeg Classic, 10-0.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Greene's 44 saves matches her single-game high for this season after stopping 44 shots against Saint Anselm on October 28.
Up Next:
The Pioneers return for the third-place game tomorrow afternoon, taking on either #11/11 Connecticut or #7/9 Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. from Ingalls Rink in New Haven, Conn. Live statistics and livestream information will be available at sacredheartpioneers.com.
