Box Score

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Junior Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) recorded a goal and an assist in Nichols College's 4-2 loss to Saint Michael's College in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's East action Friday evening at Levy Rink.

Classmate Talia Hohmann (Marina, Calif.) picked up a pair of assists for the Bison (4-18-0, 2-11-0 ECAC Women's East). Sophomore Naomi Major (Telluride, Colo.) potted her first two goals of the season to lead the Purple Knights to their second win of the season – both against Nichols.

Saint Michael's (2-15-3, 1-10-2 ECAC Women's East) scored the only goal of the first period at 14:35 when Major's shot from a sharp angle snuck through the pads of junior goalie Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Nichols evened the score at one at 5:16 of the second when Murphy banged home a rebound out of a goalmouth scramble.

The Bison moved in front 23 seconds into the third period when Murphy threw the puck at the net and, on her fourth try, got the puck past freshman Tina Frasca (Norwood, Mass.). Six minutes later, Saint Michael's evened the score on major's second of the evening. She stole the puck from a Nichols student-athlete and wristed the puck through the legs of Gianformaggio from the slot at 6:29.

 Junior Maire Bartkus (Acton, Mass.) scored the eventual game-winner at 11:52 with a great individual effort. She skated through the neutral zone, over the blue line, around a defender, and wrapped the puck around a diving Gianformaggio and inside the right post. Freshman Carolyn Avery (Lexington, Mass.) added an empty-netter with 1:41 to go.

"We carried the play tonight, but the hockey Gods weren't smiling down on us tonight," said Nichols first-year head coach Wil Brown. "We popped a few in during the second period, but we tried to win the game as individuals beginning at about the 10-minute mark of the third. This is college hockey. You can't win like that."

The Bison outshot the Purple Knights 39-27, and each team went 0-for-1 with the extra skater. Frasca recorded 37 saves to earn her first win of the season. Gianformaggio finished her night with 23 saves.

The Bison host Norwich Saturday at 4:40 p.m. The Purple Knights travel to Manhattanville for a 4 p.m. contest Saturday.