Box Score

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Senior captain Megan Gerein (Dubuque, Iowa) scored her first goal of the season with 3:17 remaining in regulation to lift the Nichols College women's ice hockey team to a 2-1 win over Wesleyan (CT) University in non-conference action Wednesday night at Levy Rink.

Junior Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) added her 11th goal of the season as the Bison (4-15-0) rallied from a third-period deficit to earn their first-ever win over the Cardinals in six tries (1-4-1). Murphy's goal was also the 34th of her career, moving her into sole possession of first place on the all-time goal scoring list at Nichols.

Wesleyan junior Laura Wasnick's (North Olmsted, Ohio) first goal of the season 11:03 into the third period broke a scoreless tie and gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. She corralled the puck inside the right point and floated a wrist shot through a screen and over the shoulder of Bison senior netminer Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.).

Less than two minutes later, the Bison evened the score at one courtesy of a great individual effort by Murphy. She blocked freshman Abigail Rutt's (Scarborough, Maine) shot at the left point, then snuck between Rutt and the boards and broke in on sophomore goalie Corinne Rivard (Glendale, Ariz.). Murphy was pulled from behind the entire way to the net, but managed to sneak the puck through the pads of Rivard to even the score at one.

Gerein – who potted five goals last season – then ended her scoring drought with a little bit of puck luck. She circled through the slot and wristed a shot that hit the stick of Wesleyan junior Caitlin Bray (Lincoln, R.I.) and went behind Rivard at 16:43.

The Cardinals pulled Rivard with 1:49 left in regulation and were given a 6-on-4 advantage when Murphy was sent off for hooking. Nichols blocked a pair of shots as time wound down, and Palazzo made a huge save on Rutt to preserve the win.

"It feels great to get back in the win column, especially after how hard we've been working" said Nichols first-year head coach Wil Brown. "Our record this season is not reflective of the effort from our team. We just haven't gotten many bounces, and we could have easily let down after they took the lead. Our girls dug down and found the confidence to elevate their game and pull this one out. The fact that Megan scored the game-winner…I'm not sure I've ever seen her more excited. She's our captain, the heart-and-soul of our team."

Nichols had the best scoring opportunity in the first when junior Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.) stole a pass and skated in on a short-handed breakaway. Bufis let go of a wrist shot that Rivard got a piece of with her glove hand.

In the second, Murphy skated down the right wing and into the offensive end, used a toe-drag move to get a shot off that was stopped and held by Rivard. Later in the period, junior Cara Jankowski (Elkins, N.H.) caught a rebound off a point shot that Palazzo got a skate on to keep the game scoreless after 40 minutes.

"Grace sets the tone every time she's on the ice. She creates plays and makes our student-athletes better. She doesn't just mean a lot to the team, but the campus as a whole. She makes our student-athletes better every day in practice because they have to try and stop her. She's a tremendous ambassador for not only our program, but the women's lacrosse program as well."

Nichols and Wesleyan each finished with 28 shots. Palazzo finished with 27 saves to earn her second win of the season. Rivard recorded 26 saves in defeat.

The Bison host Mass.-Boston Friday at 6:40 p.m. and St. Anselm Saturday at 4:40 p.m. The Cardinals host Hamilton College Friday at 7 p.m.