Photo by: Jack Cavicchi
Women's Ice Hockey Set for Round One of the NEWHA Tournament vs Saint Anselm
2/26/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
The Pioneers will look to defend their title
Fairfield, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team is set to travel to Manchester, New Hampshire, for round one of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Tournament, where they will take on Saint Anselm.
It is a best of three series. Game one will take place at on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 pm, game two will take place on Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 pm, and game three, if necessary, will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 3:00 pm.
Last season, the Pioneers made a memorable postseason run. As they open tournament play this year, Sacred Heart will look to recapture that same postseason magic and make another deep push toward a NEWHA title.
Top Headlines:
History vs Saint Anselm:
On Saint Anselm:
Up Next:
It is a best of three series. Game one will take place at on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 pm, game two will take place on Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 pm, and game three, if necessary, will take place on Sunday, March 1 at 3:00 pm.
Last season, the Pioneers made a memorable postseason run. As they open tournament play this year, Sacred Heart will look to recapture that same postseason magic and make another deep push toward a NEWHA title.
Top Headlines:
- The Pioneers enter this round one series following an up-and-down regular season, finishing with an overall record of 13-19-2 and a 12-14-2 mark in conference play. However, they have been playing some of their best hockey as of late, going 8-2 in their last ten games. It's all about getting hot at the right time, and much like last season, the Pios will look to carry that momentum into the postseason.
- Bria Holm ended the regular season as the points leader for the Pios. She ended the year with eight goals and ten assists. She has also added four game winners this year. Recently, Holm has been on fire. Most of her points have come in the recent 8-2 stretch. Holm will look to bring that offensive production into the playoffs.
- The Pioneers' assists leader this season has been senior defender Olivia LaRoche. She has recorded 12 assists on the year, marking a career high. Along with her strong playmaking abilities, LaRoche has anchored the defense all season long, leading the team with 69 blocked shots — another career high. She is putting together the best season of her collegiate career and will look to carry that high level of play into the postseason.
- Addie Bowlby has been another dominant offensive force for the Pioneers this season. She leads the team with 10 goals and has added five assists to her stat line. Bowlby is also tied for the team lead in power-play goals with five and paces the Pios with 119 shots on the year. She will look to carry her high level of play into this weekend's matchup against the Hawks.
- Senior goaltender Jillian Petruno has been spectacular all season long. Through 27 games played, her goals-against average sits at 1.95. She also has 826 saves this season, which is good enough for a .945 save percentage. Her save percentage currently sits at fourth best in the nation, while her goals against average sits at 19th. She has been dominant all season long and will look to bring that high level of play into the NEWHA tournament
History vs Saint Anselm:
- Saint Anselm Hawks women's ice hockey owns a 32-16-5 mark in the all-time series. Most recently, Sacred Heart Pioneers women's ice hockey captured the final two regular-season meetings, earning a 5–2 win on January 23 and a 3–1 victory on January 24, both played at Martire Family Arena. Earlier in the season, however, Sacred Heart was defeated in the first two matchups, falling 4–1 on October 31 and 3–1 on November 1.
- During last year's New England Women's Hockey Alliance Tournament, Saint Anselm entered as the No. 5 seed and opened postseason play against No. 4 seed Stonehill Skyhawks women's ice hockey, advancing to the semifinals with a win. The Hawks then faced Sacred Heart, which secured a 3–0 shutout to end Saint Anselm's run. Sacred Heart holds a 2–0 advantage over the Hawks in NEWHA playoff history.
On Saint Anselm:
- Saint Anselm wrapped up the season with a 16-11-1 conference record in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance and a 16-17-1 overall mark. The Hawks finished third in the league standings, earning the No. 3 seed in the NEWHA Tournament.
- The Hawks have been dominant on home ice this season, posting an impressive 11-4-1 record at home compared to a 5-12-0 mark on the road. It's safe to say they are thrilled to be hosting a round one series. Offensively, they have been strong all year long, averaging three goals per game while holding their opponents to 2.6 goals per contest. That balance is a strong recipe for success.
- Offensively, Brooklyn Schneiderhan has paced the NEWHA all season long, leading the conference with 45 points and 22 goals while ranking third in assists with 23. She has been a consistent force on the offensive end and currently leads the league in shots with 205. Schneiderhan has also tallied three power-play goals and four game-winning goals this season. The Pioneers will look to contain her offensive production this weekend.
- The Hawks' second-leading scorer is Lucy DeCoteau. DeCoteau has tallied 13 goals this season while adding 10 assists, totaling 23 points. She also leads the team in power-play goals with seven, making her a key threat on special teams. Together, DeCoteau and Schneiderhan have formed a dynamic one-two punch offensively all year long.
- First-year defender Avery Wilson has anchored the Hawks' defense all season long. She leads the team with 50 blocked shots, showcasing her toughness and commitment on the defensive end. In addition to her strong defensive presence, Wilson has also been an effective playmaker, recording eight assists on the year. She has proven to be a threat on both ends of the ice.
- In goal, Kayla Czukoski ranked fourth in save percentage at .934 and led the conference with 1,128 total saves. She has been atop the NEWHA in every goalie statistic all season long and has kept Saint Anselm in every game she has played in.
Up Next:
- Following round one of the NEWHA playoffs, the winner of this series will play in round two, which is a single elimination game on Wednesday, March 4.
- Be on the lookout to see who is being matched up, where the game will be played, and the time of the game.
Players Mentioned
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