BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (November 16, 2024) – Stonehill women's hockey junior Gracie Sacca's two-goal game and first-year netminder Alexsa Caron's first career shutout helped the Skyhawks secure a 3-0 victory over Post University inside the Bridgewater Ice Arena Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 5-10 overall and 5-5 in conference play, while the Eagles fell to 3-10-1 overall and 3-6-1 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• The shutout decision against Post marked Stonehill's fourth shutout in the last five outings against the Eagles, dating back to a 4-0 win over the conference foe on October 13, 2023.
• Sacca registered her first collegiate two-goal game, while junior defender Lily Barrett lit the lamp on her first goal of the season and second of her career.
• Junior classmate Bailey Feeney and Kathryn Karo, as well as sophomore Makenna Slocum each dished out assists for the Skyhawks.
• Sophomore defender Pusle Dyring-Andersen blocked a game-high two shots on the afternoon.
• Caron picked up her first collegiate shutout and her fifth win of the season after holding the Eagles off the board, stopping all 35 shots she faced in between the pipes.
• Sophomore Macy Peterson and sophomore Jodie Rose tied for the game-high, each with four shots on goal.
• Junior netminder Hali Lawrence posted 20 saves inside the crease for Post.

 
How it Happened
After a back-and-forth start to the opening frame throughout the first six minutes of action, Stonehill would break the scoreless tie at the 7:30 mark of the first period. With Post in possession of the puck on its defensive end of the ice, Sacca would step up on a pass, force a turnover on the Skyhawks' offensive blue line, and send a shot top shelf past Lawrence and into the back of the cage for what eventually proved to be the game-winning goal.
 
Midway through the first 20 minutes of play in the conference contest, a pair of penalties taken by junior classmates Maddison Achtyl and Brianna Walkom would result in a five-on-three skater advantage for the Eagles. However, Caron and the Skyhawks penalty kill units would stand tall on their defensive end, stifling the Post power-play chance and keeping the game at 1-0 heading into the first intermission.
 
Coming out of the break, Stonehill would look to add a second goal and gain a sense of breathing room. However, the two sides would fall back into their up-and-down-the-ice style of play; trading shot attempts and scoring chances until the 16:03 mark of the frame, when Caron would come up clutch on a partial breakaway stuff-in attempt from Rose.
 
Despite Post peppering Caron with three shots on goal in the second period's final minute, vying for the game-tying goal, the first-year netminder would answer the call and keep the Eagles off the board 40 minutes of the way through the conference matchup.
 
At the halfway point of the third and final frame of regulation, with Post on a two-skater advantage, the Eagles would enter their offensive zone with a three-on-one break. However, Feeney would make an incredible defensive play to hold Post without a shot and keep the Skyhawks lead at 1-0. Just four minutes following her clutch defensive stop, Feeney would dish out an assist with a backdoor pass cross-crease to Sacca, who lit the lamp on her second goal of the game, giving Stonehill a two-goal lead with five minutes left to play.
 
Despite emptying their net, the Eagles were unable to crack the scoresheet as Barrett's empty-net goal at the 19:16 mark of the third would cap off the scoring and seal the 3-0 shutout victory for the Skyhawks.
 
Up Next
Stonehill (5-10, 5-5 NEWHA) returns to action next weekend for a split two-game series against Saint Anselm College. Puck drop of Friday's series opener between the Skyhawks and Hawks is set for 5 PM, while the two sides round out their two-game set in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday at 1 PM.
 
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