HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Junior forward Katelyn Lajoie recorded a hat trick while classmate Maria Nasta added three assists as the University of Massachusetts-Boston women's ice hockey team skated past Nichols, 8-2, in ECAC East action at June Rockwell Levy Rink Friday afternoon.

The Beacons (8-6-1, 7-3-1 ECACE) added to a one-goal first-period lead with four tallies in the second frame before tacking on three more in the third. Nichols' (1-13-1, 0-10-1 ECACE) Sydney Gilbert (Portage La Prairie, Manitoba) scored the lone goal for the Bison midway through the final stanza.

UMass Boston carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after Lajoie poked in a rebound from senior forward Maria Guanci, slipping the puck just over the goal line from the right post.

Freshman forward  Kelly Gillis one-timed a pass from Emily Brienzo into the top right corner of the net for a power-play goal and a 2-0 lead early in the second period before the Beacons lit the lamp three times within a 3:39 span to extend their lead to 5-0 midway through the frame.

Guanci pounced on a puck brought behind the Bison net by a Nichols player, stripping it just behind the iron before touching it over to Lajoie, who was positioned below the right circle. Lajoie sent a wrister on the ice from a low angle in the circle, slipping it under Nichols netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.) at 9:19.

Just over two minutes later, sophomore forward Katie Kirwan took a pass from Brienzo and skated into the Nichols zone before lifting it past Mansfield from the left circle for a four-goal advantage.

Sophomore defenseman Jazz Webber (Winslow, Maine) capped the scoring blitz with a slapshot from the center of the blue line that snuck through Mansfield's five hole. Whitney Fraleigh earned the assist with the set up.

Nichols got on the board first in the third period, as Cheryl Pitts (Wakefield, Mass.) centered the puck to Gilbert, whose backhanded sweep slipped the puck between the right post and the left skate of Beacons' netminder Leah Hallett, cutting the lead to 5-1.

The Beacons, however, added three goals late in the final frame, including a pair just 22 seconds apart in the final minute to seal the game.

Nasta factored in the trio, first setting up Hannah Davis on the power play at 15:24. She then connected with Lajoie in a crowd of bodies in front of the Nichols net at 19:36 before winding up for a slapshot from the point that was tipped in the slot by Kristen Smith.

Hallett finished with 20 saves in her fourth win of the season. Mansfield allowed five goals while making 21 saves in 33 minutes of action before giving way to Christine Mazza (Dedham, Mass.), who stopped 10 shots and allowed three goals in the final 27 minutes.

The Beacons held a 39-21 shot advantage, and finished 2-for-7 on the power play. Nichols wrapped up the night 0-for-1 with the man advantage, and held UMass Boston scoreless on a pair of five-on-three power plays.

Nichols travels to #10 Manhattanville Saturday for a 3 p.m. game. UMass Boston plays at Salve Regina Saturday at 8 p.m.

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