FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Carly Greene's first shutout of the season was the difference as the Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team earned a regular-season sweep over Saint Michael's College, beating the Purple Knights 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Pioneers continued where they left off in the series opener on Friday night, hemming the Purple Knights in their own zone for a majority of the first 10 minutes of the first period and quickly accumulating a 12-5 shot advantage in the process.
Having the majority of the momentum, the Pios scored their third, first-period goal of the weekend, taking a 1-0 lead with 5:08 left in the opening frame on
Cassie Nevers' eighth tally of the year. With a stint of possession in the SMC zone,
Sophie Lupone knifed her way through the Purple Knights defense and found Nevers alone on the backdoor who sent a one-timer past SMC's Abbey Gyurko to put the home side on the board.
The Purple Knights had opportunity late in the frame to tie things up, earning the first power play for either team in the series, but came up short on the front end of the advantage as the Pios, and goaltender
Carly Greene, closed the door for the remaining five minutes, taking seven saves into the dressing room after 20 minutes of action.
Following a brief stint on the penalty kill to end the first period, the Pioneers earned their first power play of the series two minutes into the second as SMC's Emersynn McGillis was sent to the box for tripping. However, the Pios could not double the lead with the extra skater as the two sides went back to even strength.
SHU continued to control the pace of play for a majority of the period, firing a total of 13 shots on net for a total of 28 through 40 minutes. Between the pipes, Greene continued to stymie the opposition, earning eight saves in the middle frame to take a 15-save shutout into the third period.
The Red & White were clinical in the third period, limiting the Purple Knights to minimal chances through the frame. Offensively, the Pios threatened to earn a two-goal lead but could not find the finishing touch as Gyurko kept the visitors within one goal. However, Greene held strong, stopping all nine SMC shots including two late in the period en route to a 24-save shutout as the Pios took all four points on the weekend with the 1-0 win.
Top Performers:
Up Next:
The Pioneers continue their four-game homestand with a midweek tilt against the LIU Sharks on Tuesday, February 6 before taking part in a home-and-home with Assumption to conclude the week. Puck drop for Tuesday's game from Martire Family Arena is slated for 7 p.m. More information can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com.
