EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (January 11, 2025) – The Stonehill College women's hockey team secured its second two-game weekend sweep of the season after defeating New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) opponent Long Island University, 2-1, Saturday afternoon at the Northwell Health Ice Center. With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 7-14-2 overall and 7-7-2 in conference play, while the Sharks fell to 10-9-3 overall and 10-4-2 against conference opponents.  

Highlights

• Junior classmates Lily Geist and Maddison Achtyl scored their respective fourth and fifth goals of the season.
• Sophomore defender Pusle Dyring-Andersen dished out her fourth assist of the season on Achtyl's game-winning goal.
• Stonehill as a team edged out LIU 31-26 on faceoffs, with junior Kathryn Karo winning 11 total draws.
• First-year netminder Alexsa Caron picked up her seventh win in net after stopping 33 of her 34 shots on the day.
• First-year student Kristen Kiggen lit the lamp on the first goal of her collegiate career off an assist from graduate student Carrigan Umpherville.
• Junior Emma Mörtl blocked a game-high four shots on the day for LIU.
• Sophomore goaltender Clara Kammholz tallied 22 saves in between the pipes for the Sharks.

How it Happened
After an even start to the conference matchup, with both teams registering nine shot attempts over the first 10 minutes, the Skyhawk penalty kill—ranked 19th nationally at 82.4%—was called into action midway through the first period. A pair of critical blocked shots from graduate student Maeve Connolly and first-year Reagan Whynot stifled the Sharks' power-play opportunity, helping keep the game scoreless.
 
Less than two minutes after the conclusion of LIU's power play, Geist intercepted a loose puck at the defensive blue line and raced up the ice. She unleashed a wrist shot from point-blank range, sending the puck past Kammholz's blocker to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead in the opening period.
 
The second period saw Stonehill dominate possession in the offensive zone, generating two power-play opportunities and registering 31 total shot attempts compared to LIU's nine. During the Skyhawks' second power play of the period, Achtyl redirected a shot into the net, but the goal was waved off due to a high stick infraction.
 
Shortly thereafter, at the 15:24 mark, Dyring-Andersen sent a shot toward Achtyl in front of the net, who this time converted for her fifth goal of the season, doubling the Skyhawks' lead. In the final moments of the period, junior Lucie Turcotte skated in on a partial breakaway, aiming to extend the Stonehill lead to three. However, her attempt was stopped by Kammholz's glove, maintaining the Skyhawks' two-goal advantage as the teams headed to the intermission.
 
Midway through the third period, LIU cut the deficit in half when Kiggen scored her first collegiate goal, a backhanded shot that slipped past the outstretched pad of Caron in net for Stonehill.
 
Despite being outshot 12-1 in the final five minutes of regulation, Caron and the Skyhawk defense stood strong, preserving the one-goal lead and securing a 2-1 victory to complete the weekend sweep on the road.

Up Next
Stonehill (7-14-2, 7-7-2 NEWHA) returns to action next weekend for a two-game set on the road at Sacred Heart University. Puck drop of Friday' series opener from Martire Family Arena between the Skyhawks and Pioneers is set for 2 PM.
 
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