Box Score

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. - The Nichols College women's ice hockey team closed their season with an 8-2 loss at Salve Regina University Sunday evening in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's East action at St. George's Rink.

The Bison close their first season under head coach Wil Brown 4-21-0 (2-14-0 ECAC Women's East) but made strides under his guidance, most notably lowering the team goals against average (GAA) from 4.3 to 3.6.

Salve Regina (15-6-4, 10-5-1 ECAC East) erupted for four first-period goals by four different student-athletes, including sophomores Britani Dunbar (Swampscott, Mass.) and Shelby Johnson (Sterling, Mass.), and freshmen Michelle Holmes (Goffstown, N.H.) and Kayla Smith (Woburn, Mass.).

Junior Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) notched her team leading 14th goal of the season at 8:38 of the first period after beating freshman goaltender Colleen Marcik (Madison, Conn.). Junior Talia Hohmann (Marina, Calif.) was credited with her team-leading ninth assist on the play.

The Seahawks added the only goal of the second period when sophomore Cheyenne Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz.) was able to best senior netminder Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.). Freshman Amanda Cronin (Medfield, Mass.) picked up the assist.

After two goals by Salve Regina to start the third period, senior Megan Gerein (Dubuque, Iowa) put one between the pipes for the Bison's second goal. Hohmann was credited with her second apple of the game on the goal.

Gerein set a new record for games played in a career by a Bison playing in her 101st match for the women's ice hockey team.

Both starting goalies ended their night after 40 minutes of action. Palazzo suffered her 10th defeat while stopping 22 Seahawk shots while Marcik made 16 saves, recording her 10th victory of the season. Junior Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif.) played the entire third period for the Bison, picking up 10 saves. Sophomore Mariah Mosher (Auburn, Mass.) and freshman Nicole Grosser (West Harrison, N.Y.) split the third period duties up for the Seahawks, notching four saves and one save, respectively.

The Bison's season comes to an end while the Seahawks host No. 7 seed Plymouth State University Saturday at 7 p.m. in the conference tournament.