FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Having completed a three-game road slate to end the month of January, the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team returns to the friendly confines of Martire Family Arena this weekend, hosting Saint Michael's College on Friday, February 2 and Saturday, February 3. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. both days. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pios secured two important points last weekend after posting consecutive 2-2 ties against Stonehill College. In game one, SHU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period after Cassie Nevers opened the scoring five minutes into the frame before Grayson Limke potted her third of the season to double the  lead with under five minutes to play in the period. However, penalty troubles for the Pioneers allowed Stonehill to cut the deficit in half with 29 seconds left in the frame, making the score 2-1 in favor of SHU after 40 minutes of action. Stonehill entered the third on the front foot, finding the equalizer two minutes into the frame to knot the game 2-2. Jillian Petruno ended up stymying 40 shots, including seven in the overtime period, as the game ended in a 2-2 tie. 
 
Game two followed a similar script as neither team found the back of the net in the first 40 minutes of play. Following a Stonehill goal in the first four minutes, Limke nabbed her second goal of the weekend to tie the game just over 20 seconds later to tie the game, 1-1. Both teams traded blows in the middle part of the frame as Julianna Koman's power-play tally gave SHU a brief 1:38 lead before Stonehill's Alexis Petford brought the game level. The teams continued to battle but could not find twine for the remaining 14 minutes, splitting the two points with a 2-2 tie.   
 
ON SAINT MICHAEL'S
Saint Michael's College (0-27-1, 0-21-1 NEWHA) enters the weekend having picked up its first point of the season last weekend, going 0-1-1 in a two-game set against Assumption. Facing a two-goal deficit in the third period of game one, the Purple Knights cut into the Assumption lead but could not pull off the comeback, falling 5-2. In game two, SMC had its two-goal advantage wiped away in the final 10 minutes of the third period as the Purple Knights settled for a tie. 
 
Senior Mary Leys leads the Purple Knights with nine points on the season after claiming her team-leading fifth and sixth assists of the season in the weekend finale against Assumption. Senior Mikaela Langbacka and first year Alizee LeBlanc are tied for first on the team in goals (4) after LeBlanc tallied in both games last weekend. 
 
In goal, Annika Lavender has backstopped the Purple Knights for a majority of the season, earning the starting nod in 22 games and posting.909 save percentage. Lavender currently ranks second in the nation in total saves this season with 935 saves in 24 games played. 
 
Chris Donovan is in his 22^nd season as the bench boss for SMC. SHU has taken all three previous meetings between the two sides this season, including a 5-2 win in the season-opener. SHU followed up its non-conference win over SMC with a two-game sweep on the road, tallying the lone goal in game one before taking a decisive 5-1 victory in game two.  

HEART TO HEART
Saturday's game against the Purple Knights is the eighth annual SHU women's hockey "Heart to Heart" game. The team will wear special jerseys to spread awareness on mental health and mental illness among athletes. 

Heart to Heart was started in 2017 by senior co-captain Devan Kane and athletic trainer Casey Quinn after Devan experienced her own mental health struggles. Heart to Heart was created with the goal of letting all athletes know they are not alone and that it is okay to not be okay, and to ask for help. Kane continues to spread her message and share her story since graduating in 2018 while pushing Heart to Heart and its message. 

NEVER SAY NEVERS
Cassie Nevers became the sixth Pioneer to accrue double-digit points on the year after grabbing three points in the weekend affair at Stonehill. Nevers broke her single-season goal-scoring record with her game-opening goal in Friday's tilt, potting her sixth goal of the campaign en route to a two-point outing. 
 
Nevers followed up her game one performance with another good outing in game two, earning the secondary assist on Grayson Limke's game-tying goal in the third period as SHU eventually tied the Skyhawks, 2-2. Nevers also posted a season-high nine shots in Saturday's matinee. 
 
Having gone nine-straight games without a point, the graduate forward has earned points in three of the last five games including a two-goal outing against Saint Anselm on Jan. 12.