SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team lost to the University of Southern Maine, 4-2, during Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East action on Saturday at Cairns Arena. The Purple and Gold falls to 1-15-3 overall and 0-10-2 in the league, absorbing its 10th loss by two goals or fewer, while the Huskies move to 10-10-1 and 7-5.

Senior Macey Thomas (Amherst, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) and junior Kristen Spulecki (Orchard Park, N.Y./Buffalo Bison) tallied the Saint Michael's goals. Junior Fernanda Saavedra (Miami, Fla./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) collected two assists, while classmate Maire Bartkus (Acton, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) and first-year goalie Tina Frasca (Norwood, Mass./Massachusetts Spitfires) both picked up helpers. Frasca recorded 34 saves in net, her seventh 30-save outing of the season.

Junior Maggie Lane (Burlington, Mass./Hebron Academy), sophomore Cassandra Sherman (North Smithfield, R.I./Rice Knights) and first-years Lynn Kozlowski (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) and Ally Vanidestine (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) scored for Southern Maine. Senior Bridget O'Brien (Boston, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) and first-years Katie Couture (Harrisville, R.I./Hebron Academy) and McKenna Russell (Stoughton, Mass./Fontbonne Academy) provided the assists. Junior goalie Liz Bergstrom (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska Hawks) posted 13 saves for the win.

Southern Maine got on the board at 15:10 of the opening period when Sherman weaved through the Purple Knight defense as she fired a shot high blocker side and into the net. The lead was short-lived, though, as Saint Michael's responded off a Spulecki power-play goal when she redirected Bartkus' blue line shot at 18:05 of the first period.

Saint Michael's took a 2-1 lead after Thomas flicked the puck high blocker side for the Purple Knights' second power-play goal of the game 5:45 into the second stanza. The Huskies trailed by a goal until Lane picked up a rebound off Frasca's left pad and stuffed home the puck to even the score at 10:58. Southern Maine retook the lead 40 seconds later after Saint Michael's had a neutral-zone turnover that gave Vanidestine a breakaway opportunity, and she skated in and shot the puck 5-hole for the marker.

Saint Michael's was unable to break even during a third period that saw Southern Maine lead 12-2 in shots, ultimately completing the game with a 38-15 advantage The Purple Knights pulled Frasca with one minute left, but the team was unable to register a shot on net. After a turnover in the Saint Michael's defensive zone, Kozlowski buried the empty-net goal with 19 seconds to play for the insurance marker.

The Purple Knights hit the road for a pair of league games next weekend, beginning with a 6:40 p.m. meeting with Nichols College on Friday.

by Student Intern Eric Gissendanner