EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Anastasia Sloan's second-period tally and
Jillian Petruno's 29 saves catapulted the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team to its first win of the calendar year, taking down conference foes, LIU, on Friday afternoon, 2-1.
The Red & White came out blazing in the opening frame, pushing for the game's opening goal with a plethora of chances early in the period, resulting in earning the first power play of the night. The Pios mustered two shots on the advantage but could not convert as LIU's Tindra Holm stymied the first advantage of the night.
Following a kill of their own, the Pios brought the pressure to the Sharks for the remainder of the period, resulting the visitors grabbing the game's opening goal as sophomore
Iyla Ryskamp found the back of the net with under five minutes remaining in the period.
With SHU having possession in the offensive zone, the Pios funneled the puck around the LIU net, finding
Kate Helgeson along boards with open space. Helgeson's pass towards the slot deflected off of the stick of
Isabella Chaput and right onto the tape of Ryskamp who sent a wrist shot past Holm to give the Pios a 1-0 lead.
Following the goal, SHU continued to press towards the LIU net to end the period, ending the first 20 minutes of action with a 19-9 shot advantage.
Entering the second period with the lead, the Pios came out looking to stretch the advantage, but instead found themselves back on the penalty kill following a minor infraction called on SHU's
Anastasia Sloan. With just under a minute having expired on the power-play, the Sharks capitalized with Mikayla Lantto lighting the lamp as her quick wrist shot in the low slot made its way past
Jillian Petruno to level the game just under five minutes into the frame.
With extensive zone time in the offensive end, the Pios reclaimed the lead just past the 11-minute mark of the period as Sloan potted her first of the season, sending a weapons-grade wrist shot from the point on a delayed penalty that eluded the bodies in front, as well as Holm, to give SHU the 2-1 lead.
Both squads had opportunities to get on the scoresheet late in the frame with a power play but both penalty-killing units were equal to the task as the Pios held the 2-1 lead after two period of play.
In a contentious third period, it was the Sharks who applied the pressure for a majority of the period before the Pios could settle into the frame. Though the Sharks continued their frenzy, Petruno was equal to every opportunity in the early going.
Late in the frame, SHU's
Paige McNeil had a chance to double the lead but Holm held strong, corralling the rebound as SHU's best chance of the frame went begging. With the Sharks scrambling, the Pios held strong in the defensive end, keeping LIU at bay for the final five minutes to earn the 2-1 road win.
Top Performers:
Of Note:
- Ryskamp's first-period tally is her third goal of the season and her first since scoring two goals in SHU's 4-2 win over Stonehill on November 11.
- Sloan's second-period goal is her first goal of the season and first goal since scoring in SHU's 2-1 win over Franklin Pierce in game one of the 2023 NEWHA Quarterfinals. Her goal is her first point since earning an assist in a 5-1 win over Franklin Pierce on November 3.
- Helgeson's assist on Ryskamp's tally is her first point in six games after last recording two-consecutive multi-assist performances in the series sweep over Franklin Pierce. The assist is also her team-leading ninth on the year.
- Emily Wisnewski's assist on Sloan's goal is her third assist of the season and her second point in the last three games.
Up Next:
The Pioneers return to the friendly confines of Martire Family Arena to close out the season series against the Sharks on Saturday, January 6 with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
