SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - In the first contest of a two-game weekend series, the State University of New York at Potsdam downed Saint Michael's College, 6-2, in a non-conference women's ice hockey contest in Cairns Arena. In the teams' first meeting in Vermont, the Purple Knights slipped to 0-8-1, returning home for the first time since Nov. 12, while the Bears improved to 3-6-1 in their first road contest since Nov. 5.

Seniors Kiera Nelligan (Melrose, Mass./Arlington Catholic) and Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J./New Jersey Rockets) scored for the Purple Knights, while junior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) finished with 25 saves.

Sophomore Jessica Silveira (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder) finished with a hat trick for SUNY Potsdam, completing the three-goal performance with two empty-netters in the final 37.1 seconds. Three others had one goal apiece, including senior Breanna Roy (Orleans, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats), who also notched two assists. Junior Jen Conophy (Glenmont, N.Y./Albany Ice Cats) made 26 saves.

SUNY Potsdam got on the board first, with freshman Alexandra Holowka (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Balmoral Hall) tapping in a teammate's pass out front at 13:36 of the opening period, but Santore countered with eight seconds remaining. Following a breakout pass from junior Melissa Coughlin (Franklin, Mass./Franklin), Santore carried from mid-ice and into the Bear zone, past the defense, and back-handed a shot just beyond Conophy's outstretched right pad.

Nelligan gave the Purple Knights an edge 43 seconds into the second period, converting passes from sophomore Macey Thomas (Amherst, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) and freshman Sarah Maloney (Ashby, Mass./The Winchendon School) on a power play, and she nearly extended the lead midway through the period but hit the left post. Shortly thereafter, the Bears began a flurry of three goals in a matter of 2:45, knotting the game at 11:30 on senior Annmarie Lewis' (Newmarket, Ontario/Aurora Panthers) marker. At 13:02, Roy put the visitors on top for good during a power play, and Silveira extended the lead at 14:15.

Stevens kept the Purple Knights within striking distance by stopping a penalty shot at 11:52 of the third period. The hosts had a 5-on-3 advantage for 42 seconds beginning at 5:26 and sent a flurry of three shots toward net in the final seconds of the two-woman advantage, with Conophy stopping two and the third being swept across the crease. Silveira added her two empty-net tallies in the final 37.1 seconds.

Saint Michael's and the Bears face off again tomorrow at Cairns Arena at 3 p.m.