HARRISVILLE, R.I. -  Led by a hat trick and three assists from freshman forward Stacey Hochkins (New Boston, Mich.), the College of the Holy Cross women's ice hockey team opened the 2008-09 season with a 10-0 victory over Nichols College. The game marked the first in NCAA competition for Nichols, who transitioned from club to varsity status prior to this season.

Sophomore winger Jocelyn Kratchmer (Watrous, Sask.) and junior defenseman Lisa Wilson (Corunnda, Ont.) each added a pair of goals and two assists for the Crusaders, who saw seven players record multiple-point games.

Junior forward Kathryn Kelley (Dedham, Mass.) put Holy Cross on the board at 7:27 of the first with a backhander assisted by Kathryn O'Connor (Brookfield, Conn.) and Nicola Garat (Princeton, N.J.).

Hochkins put the Crusaders up by two less than a minute later with a shorthanded tally, knocking in a rebound from Kratchmer.

Holy Cross exploded for six second-period goals, including three power-play tallies in three opportunities. Wilson netted a pair less than two minutes apart, getting things rolling 22 seconds into the frame, then following with a power-play tally at 2:08. Wilson scored both goals from the point, the first from the left after Kratchmer won the draw back to Hochkins who touched it back to Wilson at the blue line. The latter, the Crusader's fourth tally, clanged off the right side of the crossbar and over the shoulder of Nichols starting netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.).

In the third, the Crusaders added a pair, first a power-play score from Stephanie Cousin (Chicago, Ill.) at 8:20, then at 10:54, Hochkins completed the hat trick.

Mansfield made 16 saves in just over half the game before giving way to first-year goalie Christine Mazza (Dedham, Mass.), who stopped 13 shots in the remainder of the game, including 10 in the final frame. Monique Gallant (Antigonish, N.S.) made 10 saves to earn the shutout win.

Nichols continues ECAC East action on Friday at UMass Boston in a 7 p.m. game. Holy Cross hosts Manhattanville Sunday at 2 p.m.

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