HARRISVILLE, R.I. – Sophomore Megan Buxton scored a natural hat trick and finished her night with four goals in Nichols College's season-opening 5-0 win over Neumann University Friday night in non-conference women's ice hockey action at Levy Rink.

Buxton became the first student-athlete in program history to score four goals in a game, the fifth student-athlete in program to record a hat trick, and the first to do so in a season-opener. Graduate student Mel McAleer – who picked up her first collegiate hat trick on November 29, 2019 against Johnson & Wales (RI) – assisted on two of Buxton's four tallies and finished the night with three assists.

Junior netminder Julia Carroll stopped all 12 shots she faced to record her first collegiate shutout. Senior Isabella Portt picked up two assists while graduate student Jordyn McGuire registered a goal and an assist. Senior Katelyn Joyal, meanwhile, appeared in her 50th career game for NC.

The Bison (1-0-0) outshot the Knights (0-1-0) by a 62-12 margin and went 1-for-4 with the extra skater. They also killed off all four Neumann PP opportunities.

Nichols recorded a shutout in its season opener for just the second time in program history; the first was a 2-0 whitewash of Stevenson University on October 13, 2014.