Box Score

HENNIKER, N.H. – The Nichols College women's ice hockey team opened a two-game ECAC Women's East road trip with a 6-3 defeat at New England College on Friday.
 
Sophomore Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) tied Mandy Manopla '12 for the program lead with her 14th goal of the season at 5:05 in the second period and in the process prolonged her current point-scoring streak to six games.  Manopla originally set the benchmark in her sophomore year (2009-10).
 
Each team fired off a handful of shots before New England College sophomore Aubrey Fischer (Syracuse, N.Y.) broke through with an unassisted marker at 5:02. The Bison responded 2:09 later as sophomore Taylor Brown (Winthrop, Mass.) recorded her first collegiate goal off an assist from senior Mary Fehr (Leamington, Ontario). Exactly two minutes went by before Pilgrim senior Sam Hippern (Dover, N.H.) gave the hosts a 2-1 advantage with help from rookie Lindsey Stewart (South Windsor, Conn.). Sophomore Madyson Moore (Dubuque, Iowa) later extended New England College's lead to 3-1 with 5:06 left in the frame as first-year Morgan Braniff (Tustin, Calif.) and senior Alyssa Hoot (Waterville, Ohio) pitched in with helpers. The Pilgrims led the Bison 14-8 in shots and had the only two power play chances in the first 20 minutes of the game.
 
Nichols came out shooting in the second period as the Bison held a 6-0 advantage through the first eight minutes including Murphy's record-tying goal with help from line mates sophomore Lisa Coskren (Norwood, Mass.) and junior Megan Gerein (Dubuque, Iowa). The Bison finished the penalty-free stanza with a 10-8 advantage on shots.
 
Fischer opened the third period with her second goal of the contest at the 2:19 mark. Senior Kristin Dehm (Milford, Conn.) and senior Chelsie Boroski (Sterling Heights, Mich.) each recorded an assist as the Pilgrims reclaimed the two-goal lead. Dehm went on to notch an empty net goal with 1:45 left in the game with help from rookie Andrea St. Onge (Garden Grove, Calif.). Not going away, the Bison pulled junior goaltender Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.) once more as sophomore Kerri Nadeau (Chapachet, R.I.) scored her second goal of the year off assists from Gerein and classmate Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.) with 1:18 to go. At 19:43 Moore capped a wild finish with an empty-netter for her second goal of the outing. The hosts took 16 of the 29 shots in the period as neither team were whistled for a penalty in the final 20 minutes of action.
 
New England College sophomore netminder Lauren Hopps (Green Bay, Wis.) evened out at 6-6-4 as she collected 28 saves. Palazzo surrendered only four of the six goals and made 32 stops as she dipped to 0-5-1.
 
Nichols (3-16-1, 1-11-1 ECACE) treks to Castleton tomorrow for a 12:00 p.m. puck drop while the Pilgrims (7-7-5, 4-6-3 ECACE) host Manhattanville at 1:00 p.m.