HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The Sacred Heart University women's hockey team snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-0 victory over Nichols College at June R. Levy Rink Saturday evening. The Pioneers were led by a pair of goals from Tara Kent and backed by a 26-save effort from Amanda Nagel who posted her first career shutout. 

Gina Arnone put the Pioneers (2-5-0) on the board at 8:07 of the first with a slapshot from the top of the right circle that made it through traffic. Nicole Palazzo picked up her first of three assists on the night with the feed from the point.

Sacred Heart rattled off three goals within a five-minute span in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Whitney Dziama banked a loose puck off the far post at 4:53 to spark the Pioneers before Kristina Hankins lit the lamp just over two minutes later with Palazzo on the assist.

Arnone connected with Lauren Fontaine at 9:48 when the pair skated in on a two-on-one. With Arnone on the far side, Fontaine skated ahead and one-timed Arnone's pass from the right circle past Nichols' netminder Melissa Mansfield's (Medford, N.Y.) glove.

Tara Kent capped the scoring with a pair of third-period tallies, the first of her career.

Nichols closed the shot gap in the third period, and posted several scoring chances in the frame, including a short-handed break when Haylie Carter (Forney, Texas) slipped the puck across the slot to Mandy Manopla (Wellington, Fla.), but her shot was handled by Nagel.  

Nagel finished with 26 saves in her first career shutout. Mansfield made 45 saves in the loss.

Nichols returns to action against Castleton State at home on Friday, November 21 at 5:30 p.m. Sacred Heart hosts Hamline November 22 and 23 at 2 p.m.

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