FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Jillian Petruno's 25 saves kept the Pioneers alive, but a late empty net goal negated the comeback bid as the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team fell in game two of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Quarterfinals to the Franklin Pierce Ravens, 2-0, on Saturday night. With the loss, the Pioneers season officially ends with a 15-21-2 record with the Ravens moving on to the semifinal round. 
 
With the season on the line, the Pioneers looked to come out with a vengeance but were stymied for a majority of the first few minutes in their own zone as FPU had a few quick looks on frame in the first few minutes of the frame. Just over five minutes in, FPU earned the first power play of the game after SHU's Julianna Koman was the culprit of a hooking call on a breakaway. Though FPU had its looks, the Pioneer penalty kill - which had four successful kills the night before – stopped the Ravens in their tracks a to kill off the Koman minor as the sides remained tied 0-0 at the halfway mark of the opening frame. 
 
Late in the period, the Pios had the best opportunity to open the scoring after a near two-minute-long stint in the offensive zone resulted in a flurry of shots toward FPU's Jill Hertl. However, the sophomore netminder was equal to every bid, stopping all 10 SHU shots in the opening frame. Weathering the late-period storm, FPU found the breakthrough they were searching for with under 30 seconds to go in the frame as Grace Schuck was able to elude the SHU defensive zone coverage, receiving a feed from behind the net and sending a wrist shot in the low slot past SHU's Jillian Petruno to open the scoring as FPU skated into the first intermission up, 1-0. 
 
The Red & White started the better of the two sides in the middle frame, quickly finding themselves in the FPU zone and earning their first power play opportunity of the game as FPU's Ashley Wright was sent to the box for a body check. SHU had multiple opportunities to cash in on the advantage but could not find the elusive touch to get a puck past Hertl as the Ravens killed off the first SHU advantage to preserve their 1-0 lead with five minutes played in the frame. 
 
Both teams continued to find their chances in the middle part of the second period with the trio of Kate Helgeson, Isabella Chaput and Sydney Antonakis having three quick bids denied by Hertl just before the media timeout as the Pios outshot the visitors 7-4 halfway through the frame. 
 
Late in the frame, the Pios went back on the power play as FPU's McKenzie Rich guilty of a head contact major with just over a minute left in the frame, giving SHU five minutes of power play time. With the personnel advantage, SHU funneled multiple opportunities on frame but could not solve Hertl as the Pios took just under four minutes of extra-attacker time into the second intermission, down 1-0. 
 
With four minutes of power play time to begin the third period, the Pios looked to tie the game with the advantage but could not find a way to put the puck past Hertl who stood strong in the opening four minutes of the third to kill off the Rich major. 
 
Minutes later, following a bout of four-on-four hockey with FPU's Lauren Maras negating Erin Fleming's body checking minor, both teams took advantage of the open ice, funneling multiple attempts on frame with both netminders making big saves to negate dispel any wishes of scoring as the game approached the final 10 minutes of regulation. 
 
Late in regulation, the Pioneers ushered themselves into the FPU zone with the extra-attacker looking to tie things up. Even with the plethora of chances from the point, the Pios could not find the finishing touch as a turnover led to an Anna Caumo empty net tally with 2:19 left in regulation to push the lead to two. SHU would not go down without a fight as Sophie Lupone had the Pioneers' best chance of the evening with 40 seconds left, sending a wrist shot in the low slot that Hertl snagged with the glove hand to preserve the lead as the Ravens skated out the rest of the period, claiming the 2-0 win and the series victory. 
 
Top Performers:

• Jillian Petruno: 25 saves, 
• Grayson Limke: 5 shots
• Sydney Antonakis: 4 shots