Box Score

HARRISVILLE, R.I. - Junior Amber Aaskov (Falmouth, Maine) recorded her second collegiate goal in Nichols College's 5-1 season-opening loss to Franklin Pierce in non-conference women's ice hockey action Friday evening at Levy Rink.

Senior Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.) recorded 38 saves as the Bison were outshot 43-25 - including 29-15 over the final 40 minutes of action. Sophomore Karsyn Baker (Detroit, Mich.) had a goal and two assists for the Ravens, who improved to 2-1-0 all-time against Nichols.
 
Aaskov scored the only goal of the first period to send the Bison to the locker room with a 1-0 lead. She stole the puck in the neutral zone and broke into the offensive zone 1-on-2. She cut to her backhand and around the defenders, then went to her forehand and poked the puck past Ravens freshman netminder Noelle White (Corona, Calif.) at 13:19. Despite trailing, the Ravens outshot the Bison 14-10 through the first 20 minutes of action.
 
Nichols was whistled for seven penalties over the final two period of play that led to a pair of Ravens power-play goals. Following a 4-on-4 session which featured a pair of scoring chances for FPC and a breakaway opportunity for Nichols senior captain Megan Gerein (Dubuque, Iowa) that missed, the Ravens evened the score at one on a PP goal from Baker. Sophomore Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) was sent off for hooking before being accessed a 10-minute misconduct, and Baker's took advantage with a breakaway goal at 18:19 of the stanza.
 
In the third, the Ravens potted their second power-play goal, two even strength markers and an empty-netter to secure the win. Sopmore Colleen Doucette (Wakefield, Mass.) tallied the game-winner just 21 seconds into the third on the PP before classmate Michaela Faia (Malden, Mass.) wrister off a face-off win by Baker made it 3-1 six minutes later.
 
Senior captain Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) crashed the net and cashed in on a rebound from freshman Lauren Matsumoto's (Fort Collins, Colo.) shot from the slot at 13:19 to give FPC a 4-1 edge. Freshman Katie Flynn (Sandwich, Mass.) capped the scoring with a short-handed empty net goal at 16:22 as the Bison had pulled Palazzo while on the PP to obtain a two-man advantage in an attempt to get back in the game.
 
"We played a strong first period before reverting back to some of our old ways in the second and third, which is why the score ended up the way it did," said Bison first-year head coach Wil Brown, who captained the Bison men's ice hockey squad last season. "Overall, there were a lot of positives to build on with two weeks of practice in front of us before the next game. We're trying to instill a more passing-oriented game, but we got away from that at points throughout the game tonight."
 
White recorded 24 saves in her collegiate debut to earn the win for the Ravens, who finished the evening 2-for-7 with the extra skater. Nichols, meanwhile, was unable to capitalize on six PP chances and committed a total of 10 penalties for 28 minutes.
 
The Bison return to action on November 15 with a 4 p.m. contest at St. Anselm. Franklin Pierce hosts Plymouth State tomorrow at 7 p.m.