FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The Sacred Heart University women's hockey heads back on the road this weekend, continuing New England Women's Hockey Association (NEWHA) play with a series against Saint Michael's College on November 15-16. Puck drop from Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vt. Is slated for 7 p.m. Friday while Saturday's contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com. 
 
ORIGINAL SIX
The Pioneers enter the weekend boasting the NEWHA's best scoring defense (1.50) and top team goals-against average (1.49). The marks also rank the Pios third in the nation in those categories behind only Wisconsin and Quinnipiac. 
 
Following a five-for-five outing on the penalty kill last weekend, the Pios rank second in the NEWHA in penalty killing percentage (84.4). The Red & White have now gone five-consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal. 
 
Sophomore defender Peyton Bennetts grabbed her third goal of the season in Friday's tilt against Assumption, potting the game-winning goal with 22 seconds left in regulation to give SHU a 1-0 series-opening win. 
 
In the Saturday matchup against the Greyhounds, the Pios had four different players record a goal marking the third time this season that SHU has had four different goal scorers in one game. 
 
Sophomore forward Isabella Chaput has recorded points in five of the last six games after having her career-long four-game point streak snapped in Friday's affair in Worcester. The Michigan native leads the team with five goals on the season and has recorded a 4-1-5 scoring line during her latest hot streak.
 
The Pioneers have won six of their last seven games en route to a 7-3 record entering the weekend which is the best start to a season for the Red & White since the 2017-18 campaign. SHU concluded the 2017-18 campaign by hoisting the inaugural NEWHA Tournament Championship Trophy. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers continued their dominance in NEWHA play to start the 2024-25 league campaign, dispatching Assumption by a combined score of 5-0 to take a full plethora of six points in the league standings. 
 
In game one, both Assumption and SHU had trouble finding the back of the net through the first 40 minutes of action with the Pios outshooting the Greyhounds 25-10 through two periods. In the final stanza, the Pios 35^th - and final shot of the evening - found the back of the net as Peyton Bennetts' slapshot from the slot with 22 seconds left in regulation was the game's only tally, giving the Pios a 1-0 win in the series opener.
 
In game two the Pios asserted complete control on home-ice, striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the first period with an Ally Cohen power-play tally and Addie Bowlby's first collegiate goal giving SHU a 2-0 lead into the fist intermission. SHU continued to pile on the pressure in the second period, taking a 3-0 lead via an Isabella Chaput shorthanded goal before taking a 4-0 lead early in the third period with Bria Holm's first goal as a Pioneer. The Pios clamped down on defense the whole way, holding the Greyhounds to 14 shots on goal as Jillian Petruno grabbed her third consecutive shutout as the Pios completed the sweep.
 
ON SAINT MICHAEL'S
Saint Michael's (1-11-0, 1-7-0) enters the weekend having dropped their last six games in NEWHA play after taking a split against Post to begin conference play back in October. The win over Post marked the Purple Knights' first win over a conference opponent in the regular season in 52 games. SMC dropped both games in last weekend's series against LIU, falling in game one 5-0 before dropping a close contest in the finale, 1-0. 
 
First year Julia Chedel leads SMC in goals this season with two, having potted her first collegiate goal in the win over Post before tallying against Stonehill on Nov. 1. Mary Leys leads the team with two assists this season as her, Chedel and first year Brianna Jarvis sit tied for the team lead in points (2). In total, SMC has had 11 players record points this season through 12 games. 
 
In goal, the Purple Knights have had three goalies partake in action so far with Annika Lavender and Jordana DeMarinis grabbing a share of the starts. Lavender and DeMarinis split the minutes in net last weekend with Lavender grabbing the game two start. Both goalies post a .904 save percentage with DeMarinis posting the better goals-against average at 4.17. 
 
Meghan Sweezey enters her first season at the helm of the Purple Knights after serving as an assistant coach with the program for the last eight years. Sweezey takes over for former coach Chris Donovan, who coached SMC during its first 24 years as a varsity program. SHU won all five meetings last season including a 1-0 win in the finale of the season series as the Pios hold a 36-4-5 record in the all-time series against the Purple Knights.