SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team won its own ninth annual DoubleTree Ice Hockey Classic by downing Nichols College, 5-1, on Saturday at Cairns Arena. In the day's first contest, Sacred Heart University beat Plymouth State University, 2-1.

Sophomore Amanda Kempainen (Chazy, N.Y./Chazy Flyers U19), the tournament's most valuable player, recorded the 11th hat trick in Saint Michael's history by netting three goals while senior Mary Liz Pinnella (Manasquan, N.J./New Jersey Lady Patriots) and sophomore Caitie Shea (Smithfield, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) both contributed one goal apiece. Kempainen and Pinnella both landed on the all-tournament team. Junior Fernanda Saavedra (Miami, Fla./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) dished off three assists, and first-year goalie Abby Burke (Bedford, Mass./Assabet Valley Patriots) made 34 saves for her first collegiate win. The Purple Knights move to 1-9-1.

Nichols' lone goal came off the stick of sophomore Erin Dice (Ashburn, Va./Washington Pride). Senior Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass./Turners Falls) had 17 stops in 56:34 before junior Tori Gianformaggio (Huntington Beach, Calif./Boston Shamrocks) made one for a Bison team that is 2-8. First-year Elizabeth Coleman (West Roxbury, Mass./Boston Jr. Terriers) was named to the all-tournament team.

Saint Michael's jumped on the board first when Pinnella buried a shot off a rebound at 2:26 of the first period. The Purple Knights extended their lead after Shea outraced a Bison defender and then wristed the puck high glove side at 15:13. Nichols responded with a second-period tally when Dice found the loose puck in a crease scramble with 7:22 gone. The Bison threatened once more when junior Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va./Prince William Panthers) streaked in on a breakaway with fewer than nine minutes left, but Burke stood the challenge and denied the tying chance. Kempainen then reeled off three unanswered goals. The first two tallies, at 17:58 of the second and 1:21 of the third, came off rebounds low in the offensive zone, while the final marker was off a one-time feed from Saavedra 16:34 into the final stanza.

In the day's opening game, junior Casey Stathopoulos (Waltham, Mass./New Hampshire) and sophomore Heather Daley (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) scored for 2-7-4 Sacred Heart, and senior Alexius Schutt (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) registered 31 saves while landing all-tournament honors. First-year Emily Auby (Stoughton, Wis./Milwaukee Jr. Admirals) scored for 3-8 Plymouth State and earned a spot on the all-tournament team, as did senior Ali Ponte (Richmond Hill, Ontario/Stouffville Jr. Stars), who made 19 stops.

Stathopoulos tallied the game's first goal off a one-time pass from senior Jennie Robinson (Hyde Park, N.Y./Elmira) at 15:50 of the opening period before Daley deposited the winner 3:56 later. Juniors Briana Connolly (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) and Alanna Woodford (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) and collected assists on Daley's goal. Sacred Heart carried a shutout until midway through the third period, when Auby fired in a low shot from inside the face-off circle for a power-play goal at 12:55. Sophomore Kelsey Lynch (Collegeville, Pa./Salve Regina) assisted on the lone Panther tally. Despite a 14-2 shot advantage in the third period, Plymouth State could not find the equalizer.

The Purple Knights are back in action on Tuesday at Franklin Pierce University for a 12:30 p.m. contest