MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team dropped a 7-1 decision to Saint Anselm College during Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East play on Friday evening at Sullivan Arena. The Purple Knights are now 0-4-1 overall and in the league, having suffered their first loss this winter by more than one goal. The Hawks are 4-2 and 3-2.

Junior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) blanked the hosts during the opening stanza, finishing with 36 saves for the game. Freshman Maire Bartkus (Acton, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) netted her first collegiate tally, a power-play marker with 5:09 left in the second period off of classmate Kristen Spulecki's (Orchard Park, N.Y./Buffalo Bison) pass.

Freshman Tiffany Herron (Clinton Township, Mich./Chippewa Valley) had two goals and two assists for Saint Anselm, while sophomore Courtney Winters (Swampscott, Mass./Saint Mary's) added a goal and two helpers. Senior Amy Zappen (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) made six saves.

Stevens, the reigning ECAC East Goaltender of the Week, made 16 of her saves in the scoreless opening period before the Hawks pulled away with the first four goals of the second stanza. Bartkus found the back of the net at the 14:51 mark to get Saint Michael's on the board before the hosts added three goals in the final 2:35 of regulation to create a wider margin.

The Purple Knights next head to the University of Massachusetts at Boston tomorrow for an ECAC East contest at 2 p.m.