Women's Ice Hockey Set for Final Series of the Regular Season

Friday, February 20

Worcester, MA

7:10 PM

Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics

Assumption

Photo by: Emma Pinault

Women's Ice Hockey Set for Final Series of the Regular Season

2/19/2026 12:49:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Game Notes

Saturday's game will be senior day

By: Joe Verrillo

Fairfield, Conn. – The Sacred Heart Pioneers women's ice hockey is set to close out the regular season with a home-and-home series against the Assumption Greyhounds. Game one will take place on the road at Assumption tomorrow night, with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The series will then shift back to Fairfield for game two on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the Martire Family Arena. Saturday's matchup will also serve as Senior Day, as the Pioneers honor their graduating class in their final regular-season game on home ice.

Top Headlines:

The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team currently holds a 12–18–2 overall record and an 11–13–2 mark in NEWHA play following its weekend split against Long Island University. The Pioneers secured a 3–1 victory in game one to extend their win streak to seven games before falling 1–0 in game two. Across the series, Sacred Heart outshot LIU 58–53 and held a 23–22 edge in faceoffs, while Petruno combined for 57 saves over the two contests.
The Pioneers currently sit in sixth place in the NEWHA standings. While they are no longer in contention to host a first-round matchup in the conference tournament, they still have an opportunity to climb as high as fifth place. Sacred Heart will look to build momentum in the final stretch of the regular season as they prepare for postseason play.
Bria Holm made her presence felt in the series opener, scoring her seventh goal of the season with a powerful blue-line strike to ignite Sacred Heart's offense. Her ability to generate scoring from the back end set the tone early and provided critical momentum in the victory, showcasing her offensive confidence and timing.
Ally Cohen turned in one of the most complete performances of the weekend, recording a goal and an assist in the win, including a determined unassisted tally that shifted momentum. She also set up the empty-net goal and contributed three blocked shots.
Addie Bowlby continued her strong season with her ninth goal of the year, sealing the win with a clutch empty-net finish, and followed it up by leading the offensive push in game two with five shots on goal.
Ella Holm dominated at the faceoff dot in the second contest, winning 12 faceoffs to help Sacred Heart control possession during critical stretches.
Maddie Smith anchored the defensive effort with three blocked shots in game two, stepping up during heavy second-period pressure to keep the deficit at one.
Jillian Petruno was a steady force in net across both games, earning the win in the opener with 31 saves before stopping 26 shots in a narrow 1–0 loss. Her composure under pressure, including multiple double-digit save periods throughout the weekend, kept Sacred Heart competitive in every moment of the series. Her play was good enough to take home her fifth NEWHA award of the season.

History vs Assumption:

The last time the Pioneers and the Greyhounds faced off was earlier this season on December 5 and 6. Game one went to a shootout at the Martire Family Arena, where the Pioneers emerged victorious. In game two, the Greyhounds responded on their home ice, securing a 4–2 win to split the series.
Overall, the Pioneers hold a 7-4-1 record against the Greyhounds. The two programs have met regularly since the Greyhounds joined the NEWHA in 2023. Before their most recent matchup, the Pioneers had put together a six-game winning streak in the series and will look to begin a new streak this weekend.

On Assumption:

The Greyhounds enter this matchup riding a four-game winning streak and currently sit in second place in the NEWHA standings. They have put together a strong season, holding a conference record of 16-7-3. Offensively, they average 2.8 goals per game, while defensively allowing just 2.2 goals per game.
The Greyhounds have also been strong in the faceoff circle, winning 51% of their draws with an overall faceoff record of 891–854. In addition, they have been highly effective on the power play, scoring 32 goals on 124 opportunities, good for a 25% conversion rate.
The Greyhounds' offense is driven by a trio that leads the team in scoring, beginning with Kayla McGaffigan, who paces the team with 29 points. McGaffigan has tallied 14 goals and added 15 assists this season. Close behind her is her sister, Ava McGaffigan, who has recorded 28 points. While Ava has scored five goals, she leads the team with 23 assists, highlighting her playmaking ability. Justina Valentini rounds out the trio with 26 points, contributing four goals and 22 assists on the year. With multiple strong playmakers leading their offense, the Pioneers will look to limit the impact of this trio in the upcoming matchup.
Junior defender Kaitlyn Cielo has been the anchor of the Greyhounds' defense all season long. She leads the team with 49 blocked shots, 17 more than the next closest player on the roster. In addition to her defensive presence, Cielo has contributed offensively, recording five goals and five assists for a total of 10 points. Her ability to impact the game on both ends of the ice makes her a consistent and reliable presence for the Greyhounds.
The Greyhounds' primary goaltender has been Jadyn Weiser, who has started 28 games this season and holds a 14-11-3 record. Four of those victories have come by way of shutout. Weiser has made 836 saves, posting an impressive .933 save percentage. She has also maintained a strong goals-against average of 2.16, making her a key presence in net for the Greyhounds.

Up Next:

Following the last series of the regular season, the Pioneers will look to go on another long NEWHA playoff run.
Round one of the NEWHA playoffs is Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 1. Be on the lookout for the location and time of the games following this weekend's games.