BOSTON, Mass. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team dropped a 3-1 decision against the University of Massachusetts at Boston in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East play at the Clark Athletic Center Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Purple Knights slide to 1-14-2 overall and 0-9-1 in the league, while UMass Boston improves to 8-8-3 and 4-6.

Sophomore Emily Loebs (Acton, Mass./Minuteman Lady Flames) provided the only Saint Michael's goal with assists from junior Fernanda Saavedra (Miami, Fla./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) and first-year Sarah Bagley (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle). Junior Kristen Spulecki (Orchard Park, N.Y./Buffalo Bison) and first-year Carolyn Avery (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) both won five face-offs. First-year goalie Tina Frasca (Norwood, Mass./Massachusetts Spitfires) made 28 saves for the Purple Knights.

UMass Boston senior Courtney White (Medford, Mass./Southern Maine) and sophomore Alexa Cappione (Massena, N.Y./Northwood School) provided first-period tallies, while classmate Samantha Fallon (Pembroke, Mass./Williston Northampton) added an insurance marker. Juniors Emily Howard (Terryville, Conn./Kingswood-Oxford School) and Alyssa Sullivan (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic) and first-year Kristen Embrey (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) all picked up assists. Sophomore goalie Casey Schaejbe (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) stopped 24 shots for the win.

The Beacons registered the game's first goal when Embrey connected with White at 3:28 of the first period. Then, with 30 seconds left in the opening stanza, UMass Boston extended its lead to two goals after Cappione found the back of the net for an unassisted tally.

Saint Michael's cut the deficit in half 15 minutes into the second period after Loebs scored on the power play for her second goal of the season. Despite outshooting the Beacons 21-16 through two periods, the Purple and Gold trailed by one entering the final 20 minutes. The third period favored the Beacons as they fired 15 shots on net. Fallon gave her team the two-goal cushion at 2:56 when she registered a power-play marker.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Friday for the beginning of a two-game home weekend, taking on Plymouth State University at 7 p.m.

by Student Intern Eric Gissendanner