Box Score

HARRISVILLE, R.I.- Junior Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) scored in her fourth-consecutive game as the Nichols College women's ice hockey team fell to UMass Boston 5-2 in ECAC East action Friday night at Levy Rink.

Sophomore Samantha Fallon (Pembroke, Mass.) picked up a hat trick to lead the Beacons. Junior Emily Howard (Terryville, Conn.) and sophomore Jenny Currie (Chelmsford, Mass.) also scored goals for UMass Boston.

Scoreless after the first period, Fallon put the Beacons on the board first at 3:01 of the second period. Junior Alyssa Sullivan (Medford, Mass.) took a shot from the right of the goaltender, senior Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.), and after a scramble for the rebound in front of the net, Fallon put it in the net.

Fallon notched her second goal of the game just a little over 30 seconds later to put UMass Boston up 2-0. The Bison got on the board at 5:52 of the second period. After a scrum in front of the net, the puck slid right to Murphy, who wristed a shot top shelf past sophomore Casey Schaejbe (Arlington, Mass.).
The Beacons (9-8-3, 5-6-0 ECAC Women's East) went on to score two more goals to end the second period and take a 5-1 lead into the second intermission. The Bison were outshot in the first two periods 33-14.

Junior Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.) notched her first goal of the season 7:41 in the third period. Senior Bridget Griffin (North Billerica, Mass.) passed it from behind the Bison's net to Murphy at the blue line, who skated through the defense and dropped the puck back to Bufis, who then went top shelf.

The Bison fall to 4-16-0 (2-9-0) on the season. Palazzo picked up 26 saves in a losing effort. Junior Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif.) stopped 10 shots and allowed no goals in 23:59. Schaejbe had 21 saves in the win.

"We came out a little flat in the first period," said Nichols first-year head coach Wil Brown.  "Unfortunately, when we don't play with a chip on our shoulder, things don't pan out the way we want them to."

Nichols hosts Saint Anselm tomorrow in conference action tomorrow night at 4:40 p.m. at Levy Rink. UMass Boston continues its road trip tomorrow as it takes on Manhattanville at 4:00 p.m.