BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (October 19, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's hockey team was shut out by New England Women's Hockey Alliance foe Sacred Heart University, 2-0, Saturday afternoon at the Bridgewater Ice Arena. With the loss, the Skyhawks dropped to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while the Pioneers improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• Junior classmates Lily Geist and Gracie Sacca paved the way for the Skyhawks' shot output, registering six and seven shots on goal, respectively.
• Junior Maddison Achtyl finished the game with a team-high three blocked shots.
• Junior center Kathryn Karo continued her outstanding season at the dot, winning 70-percent (12-for-17) of her faceoffs on the day for Stonehill.
• First-year netminder Alexsa Caron tallied 33 saves in between the pipes for the Skyhawks, marking her sixth game of the season finishing with at least 30 saves.
• First-year student Ella Holm scored what eventually proved to be the game-winning goal for the Pioneers, while junior Alyssa Antonakis lit the lamp on her first goal of the season.
• Senior Sydney Antonakis dished out an assist on her sister Alyssa's first goal of the season in the second period.
• Senior goaltender Carly Greene picked up her third win and second shutout of the season in goal for Sacred Heart after stopping all 33 shots she faced inside the crease for the Pioneers.

How it Happened
After an even opening 10 minutes of action in the conference contest, with Stonehill holding a narrow 9-6 advantage in shot attempts, the Skyhawks would go on the attack, applying sustained offensive zone pressure at the 12-minute mark of the opening frame. In 30 seconds after the conclusion of a Stonehill power-play chance, the Skyhawks would pepper Greene with six shot attempts, narrowly opening the scoring.
 
However, at the 13:04 mark of the first, Sacred Heart would find the back of the net to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Following a pinned puck in the nearside corner, the Pioneers would come away and find Holm in the slot, where she would send a point-blank shot past Caron in goal to put Sacred Heart up by one with her second goal of the season.
 
Early in the second period, a pair of in-tight shots from junior Lily Barrett and sophomore Makenna Slocum nearly leveled the game at one for the Skyhawks. However, a shot off the post by Barrett and an incredible sprawling save made by Greene on Slocum's rebound chance would keep Stonehill off the board.
 
Midway through the second period, Sacred Heart would double its advantage when Antonakis sisters, Alyssa and Sydney, connected and sent a shot into the back of the cage for Alyssa's first goal of the year and second of her career.
 
With the Pioneers now leading by two, the Skyhawks would look to chip away at their deficit. At the 16:00 mark of the frame, junior Mia Kenmore redirected a Slocum cross-ice pass on a two-on-one break just wide of the Sacred Heart net, narrowly cutting the gap to one.
 
Throughout the final 20 minutes of regulation, the two sides traded shots back and forth, with Sacred Heart holding the edge in shots on goal, 13-10, in the third. Despite pulling the goalie with over two minutes left in the frame, the Pioneer lead proved too much for the Skyhawks to overcome, as they eventually fell by a final score of 2-0.
 
Up Next
Stonehill (1-6, 1-3 NEWHA) returns to action next weekend traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the 2024 Women's Icebreaker Tournament, hosted by Ohio State. Puck drop of Friday's opener against the reigning national champion Buckeyes is set for 3 PM at the Schottenstein Center.    
 
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