Fairfield, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team secured a series sweep over Saint Anselm with a 3–1 victory in a key New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) matchup.
Records:
Sacred Heart: (7-17-2, 6-12-2 NEWHA)
Saint Anselm: (13-12-1, 13-6-1 NEWHA)
Top Performers:
Shae Carroll: 2 goals
Grayson Limke: 1 goal
Bria Holm: 2 assists
Reese Pascucci: 1 assist
Hailey Jussila: 1 assist
Goaltending:
Sacred Heart:
Jillian Petruno: (W, 7-9-1) 1 goal against | 31 saves
Saint Anselm: Kayla Czukoski: (L, 10-11-0) 3 goals | 45 saves
How it Happened:
- Sacred Heart struck first as Grayson Linke found the back of the net off an assist from Bria Holm to put the Pioneers on the board. In net, Petruno stood tall, turning aside 12 shots to keep Saint Anselm in check. Defensively, Sacred Heart was relentless, blocking 10 shots as a team, with Zielinska leading the way with three. While Saint Anselm held a 26–19 edge in total shots, the Pioneers controlled the pace early, leading in shots on goal (14–12) and faceoffs (11–8).
- Sacred Heart struck first as Carroll scored off an assist from Bria Holm. Saint Anselm responded midway through the period to cut the deficit to 2–1, but the Pioneers maintained control. Petruno stayed sharp in net with 22 total saves, including 10 in the period, while Sacred Heart dictated play by leading shots on goal 20–11 and edging faceoffs 15–14 in the period.
- Sacred Heart added to its lead as Carroll netted her second goal of the game, finishing a play set up by Pascucci and Jussila. The Pioneers continued to press offensively, outshooting Saint Anselm 14–9 in the period, though Saint Anselm narrowly claimed the faceoff edge at 11–10. Defensively, Sacred Heart put together a gritty effort, blocking 24 shots by game's end, with Zielinska accounting for four. In net, Petruno delivered a standout performance, stopping 31 shots to seal the win.
Of Note:
- Carroll tallied her fourth and fifth goals of the season, marking the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career.
- Limke netted her fourth goal of the season and the twelfth of her career.
- Bria Holm picked up her seventh and eighth assists of the season, giving her five points across two games and her third multi-assist performance this year.
- Pascucci added her seventh assist of the season.
- Jussila recorded her fourth assist of the season.
Up Next: The Pioneers travel to Saint Michael's for a two-game series on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30 and 31, with puck drop set for 7:20 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
