SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team continued a four-game homestand on Friday with a 5-0 loss to New England College during an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East contest in Cairns Arena.

Junior Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) made 33 stops for the Purple Knights, who held the Pilgrims off the board during the period and are now 1-15-1 overall and 0-12-1 in the league. New England College improved to 6-9-2 and 4-5-2, netting four second-period markers.

Freshman Madyson Moore (Dubuque, Iowa/Madison Capitals) tallied two goals and an assist for the visitors, while sophomore Alexis Fitzpatrick (Somerville, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) had a goal and two helpers. Senior Kaleigh Costello (Hudson, N.H./Austin Prep) and sophomore Kristin Dehm (Milford, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) each scored once, and junior Kristen Conners (Weymouth, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) made 14 stops.

Stevens kept the game scoreless five minutes into the contest, denying freshman Avery Kauffmann's (Castle Rock, Colo./Colorado Selects) bid to go five-hole on a breakaway. During a period in which the teams combined for only 10 shots, the Purple Knights nearly broke the deadlock with three minutes remaining, as junior Laura Levin (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) sent a pass from the right boards out front to sophomore Courtney Burnett (Deep River, Ontario/Northwood School), whose one-timer was stopped by Conners.

Dehm scored off of a face-off at 3:08 of the second period, and the Purple Knights nearly countered midway through the stanza, but freshman Maire Bartkus (Acton, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) rang a shot off the crossbar. Moore tallied on a breakaway at 13:05, and the visitors scored twice in the last 1:45. Moore scored again seven seconds into the third, capping a stretch of two markers in 16 ticks.

Saint Michael's remains home tomorrow to take on Castleton State College at 1 p.m.