BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (October 11, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's hockey team fell short in its New England Women's Hockey Alliance season opener against Long Island University, 2-0, Friday afternoon. With the loss, the Skyhawks dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Sharks improved to 1-2 overall and 1-0 against conference opponents.  

Highlights

• Stonehill as a team blocked 13 total shots on the afternoon, with junior captain Sydney Russell paving the way with five of her own.
• The Skyhawks won the faceoff battle against the Sharks, 24-18, as junior Kathryn Karo and junior Brianna Walkom leading the squad winning a combined 68-percent of their draws.
• Junior Maddison Achtyl tallied a team-high three shots on goal for the Skyhawks.
• First-year netminder Alexsa Caron registered 37 saves on the afternoon in between the pipes.
• Senior Jeannie Wallner recorded her first two-goal game of the season for LIU.
• Graduate student Abbie Thompson picked up her first career win after stopping all 15 shots she faced in net.

 
How it Happened
After a back-and-forth start to the conference matchup, LIU would light the lamp first at the 8:48 mark of the opening frame. Following an original save made by Caron on a sophomore Grace Babbington shot, Wallner would pounce on a loose puck and send a back-handed shot into the back of the net, giving the Sharks a first-period one-goal lead.
 
Early in the second period, the Skyhawks' forecheck would go to work, forcing LIU's defensive zone turnovers and generating scoring chances within their own offensive zone. Both Karo and Bailey Feeney had shot attempts from within the faceoff circles; however, Thompson and the Sharks' defense would stifle the Skyhawks and keep the score at 1-0 in favor of LIU.
 
After a Stonehill power-play opportunity, the Sharks would gain a breakaway scoring chance with a rink-length pass to graduate student Carrigan Umpherville. However, Caron would turn away the LIU scoring chance by making a clutch sliding save to keep the Skyhawk's deficit at one.
 
In the waning minutes of the second period, on a wrap-around shot, Feeney would send a wrister just high of the Sharks net, narrowly evening the game up at one aside.
 
Heading into the third period, both sides would trade shots back and forth once again until the 4:40 mark of the period, where Karo, from the slot, sent a shot just wide of Sharks net, nearly knotting the game up at one. However, at the 11:37 mark of the final frame, Wallner sent a shot from the far side boards over the shoulder of Caron in goal, marking her second goal of the game.
 
In the final three minutes of regulation, Stonehill looked to chip away at the LIU advantage when sophomore Peyton Wise would head on a breakaway. However, Thompson would stand tall in the net, halting Wise's bid for the back of the net. Despite the late scoring chance, Stonehill would fall short at home against LIU by a final score of 2-0.  
 
Up Next
Stonehill (0-4, 0-1 NEWHA) rounds out its two-game weekend set against LIU on Saturday. Puck drop between the Skyhawks and Sharks is set for 1 p.m., inside the Bridgewater Ice Arena.  
 
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