SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team lost to the University of New England, 4-1, during both teams' non-league season-opening game at Cairns Arena Friday evening. In the first ever meeting between the teams, the Purple Knights scored the opening goal before the Nor'easters reeled off four unanswered tallies.

Junior Amanda Kempainen (Chazy, N.Y./Chazy Flyers U19) netted the lone Saint Michael's goal with assists from senior Fernanda Saavedra (Miami, Fla./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) and sophomore Kayla Kee (Newton, Mass./Newton South). Sophomore goalie Tina Frasca (Norwood, Mass./Tabor Academy) recorded 34 saves in the loss.

Sophomore Gabby Crugnale (Malden, Mass./Middlesex Islanders) paced the University of New England with two goals with classmates Cassandra Connolly (Woburn, Mass./U-19 Islanders) and Shannon Smith (Naperville, Ill./Pittsburgh Elite) chipping in markers. Junior Samantha Scobee (Minnetrista, Minn./Mound Westonka) collected 17 saves.

The Purple Knights jumped on the board first when Kempainen buried a goal at 4:44 of the first period. Saavedra fed a pass to Kee, whose shot deflected over Scobee's head and landed to the right of the crease, allowing Kempainen to punch in the go-ahead score. The Nor'easters then rattled off a pair of shots that were saved by Frasca. After Saint Michael's was assessed a penalty, Crugnale evened up the game with a power-play goal at 7:58. On the goal line to the right of the net, Crugnale fired a wrist shot on the ice that went just inside the far post.

The second period saw the University of New England hold a 21-6 shot advantage en route to taking a two-goal lead. After the visitors registered seven shots on net to the hosts' one, the Nor'easters took the 2-1 lead after Connolly's goal at 8:29. Sophomore Gabriella Moscato (Wakefield, Mass./Middlesex Islanders) laced a shot that was initially stopped by Frasca, but the puck trickled under her and Connolly was there to tap in the loose puck. After making eight more saves to Scobee's two, Frasca was bested when Crugnale wristed a shot to the top left corner from the right circle at 16:10. Frasca closed out the period with four more stops as she posted 19 saves in the middle stanza.

The final period saw a more even offensive attack as the Nor'easters carried an 8-5 shot advantage. Frasca made five stops to open the period, including a pair of shots from inside the slot from sophomores Melissa Boudreau (Lombard, Ill./Chicago Youth Americans) and Mary Wirth (South Elgin, Ill./Team Illinois). Smith's marker at 10:33 provided the three-goal cushion. Off an outlet pass from junior Marissa Clifford-Biederman (Lee, N.H./Oyster River), Smith skated up the ice on a breakaway and fired a shot from the top of the slot to the left side of the net. The Purple and Gold closed out the game with three shots that were snagged by Scobee.

The Purple Knights open their Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East schedule with four road games, starting with Plymouth State University at 6 p.m. next Friday.