Women's Ice Hockey Battles, but Drops Game Two to Saitn Anselm, 3-1

Saturday, February 28

Manchester, NH

7:00 PM

Sacred Heart

13-21-2

Saint Anselm College

18-17-1

Sacred Heart

St. Anselm

Photo by: Josh Gee

Women's Ice Hockey Battles, but Drops Game Two to Saitn Anselm, 3-1

2/28/2026 9:15:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

The 2025-26 season has come to a close

By: Joe Verrillo

Manchester, N.H. – The Sacred Heart University women's ice hockey team fell to Saint Anselm, 3-1, in game two of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Quarterfinals. With the loss, the Pioneers were eliminated from postseason play, bringing their 2025-26 season to a close.

Records:
Sacred Heart: (13-21-2, 12-16-2 NEWHA)
Saint Anselm: (18-17-1, 18-11-1 NEWHA)

Top Performers:
Julia Zielinska: 4 blocked shots
Olivia LaRoche: 4 blocked shots
Peyton Bennetts: 1 goal
Addie Bowlby: 1 assist

Goaltending:
Sacred Heart: Jillian Petruno: L (13-13-2) 3 goals against | 31 saves
Saint Anselm: Kayla Czukoski: 1 goal against | 32 saves

How it Happened:

Like game one, the Hawks came out firing to start the contest. They registered 35 total shot attempts in the opening frame, including 15 on goal, keeping the Pioneers on their heels early. Sacred Heart was also sent to the penalty box four times in the first period, and the Hawks capitalized on one of those opportunities to take a 1-0 lead about 12 minutes into the period. Despite the pressure, Petruno and the Pioneer defense settled in and limited further damage. Sacred Heart's best scoring opportunity of the period came off the stick of Grayson Limke, whose shot narrowly missed the net. After twenty minutes of play, the Pioneers trailed by one heading into the second period.
The Pioneers were handed a golden opportunity early in the second period, earning a 5-on-3 advantage after Saint Anselm was assessed two penalties just seconds apart. Sacred Heart looked to capitalize, but the Hawks' penalty kill stood strong and kept the Pios off the board. Shortly after the power play expired, Saint Anselm flipped the momentum, finding the back of the net to extend its lead to 2-0. With their backs against the wall, the Pioneers responded. Bennetts provided a much-needed spark, burying a goal to cut the deficit in half and inject energy into the Sacred Heart bench. The momentum, however, was short-lived. The Hawks answered with a goal of their own to push the lead back to two. Both sides continued to generate quality scoring chances throughout period two, but neither team was able to convert. After forty minutes of play, the Pioneers trailed 3-1 heading into the final frame.
Sacred Heart came out aggressive, with their season on the line and facing a two-goal deficit. The Pioneers pushed the pace early, determined to generate offense, while both teams traded quality scoring chances. Despite the pressure, each defense stood tall, keeping the game within reach.
As the final minutes ticked away, Sacred Heart was granted several key opportunities to close the gap. After pulling their goalie to create an extra attacker, the Hawks were assessed a penalty, giving the Pioneers a 6 on 4 advantage for a full two minutes. With momentum and numbers on their side, SHU pressed hard but was ultimately unable to convert. The score would hold at 3-1, bringing the Pioneers' season to a close.

Of Note: