SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team dropped a 3-1 decision to the University of New England during New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) action at Cairns Arena on Saturday. The Purple Knights move to 1-4-1 overall and 1-3 in the league, while the Nor'easters are 1-3 and 1-3.

Saint Michael's senior Amanda Kempainen (Chazy, N.Y./Chazy Flyers U19) scored with help from junior Erin Dwyer (Weymouth, Mass./Archbishop Williams). Sophomore Jillian Witwicki (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) went 15-for-24 on face-offs and senior Kaly Spilhaus (Bourne, Mass./Groton School) won seven draws. Junior Abby Burke (Bedford, Mass./The Rivers School) collected 24 saves.

Junior Mary Wirth (South Elgin, Ill./Team Illinois) paced the University of New England with one goal and one assist, while first-years Taylor Fowler (Greene, Maine/Hebron Academy) and Julianne Sheehan (Chelmsford, Mass./East Coast Wizards) both scored once. Juniors Gabby Crugnale (Malden, Mass./Middlesex Islanders) and Shannon Smith (Naperville, Ill./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) provided assists. Junior Sydney Helmbrecht (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) turned in 20 saves.

During a scoreless opening period, Saint Michael's narrowly edged the University of New England in shots, 10-8. Purple Knight juniors Carolyn Avery (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) and Kayla Kee (Newton, Mass./Newton South) were both denied by Helmbrecht in the first 1:20. Helmbrecht then stopped a trio of shots at 4:50 during the hosts' first power-play opportunity. University of New England sophomore Haley Gorman (Melrose, Mass./Middlesex Islanders) and first-year Carly Perreault (Berlin, N.H./Phillips Exeter Academy) then fired point shots that were gobbled up by Burke midway through the period. Nor'easter first-year Julianna Sheehan (Chelmsford, Mass./East Coast Wizards) later skated down the left side and wristed a shot off the crossbar with 1:57 left in the opening stanza.

Following the Purple Knights' successful 5-on-3 penalty kill to start the second period, Kempainen put the hosts on top at 3:32. Helmbrecht's right pad stuffed Dwyer's breakaway shot, but Dwyer picked up her own rebound and dished a pass to Kempainen, who tapped in the puck to the lower left side. Four minutes later, Witwicki scampered down the left and backhanded a shot that was stopped on the short side by Helmbrecht. The visitors' looked to pull even at 12:30, but junior Kimberly Gosselin (Concord, N.H./Castleton) saw her open-net shot bank off the crossbar then right post before the puck was cleared out. Burke kept the Nor'easters at bay during a nine-shot second period.

After being held scoreless through the first periods, the University of New England pumped in three third-period goals. Wirth potted the equalizing goal 5:18 into the stanza when her high-slot slap shot found the lower right side. Two minutes later, junior Emily Corrales (West Hartford, Conn./Connecticut Northern Lights) hit the left post before Witwicki's go-ahead attempt from the left circle caromed off the crossbar at 13:40. Sheehan then gave the Nor'easters the lead when she snapped a low shot into the left side after skating across the slot. Helmbrecht was tested three more times before Fowler netted an empty-net goal with 31 seconds remaining to ensure a 3-1 lead.

Saint Michael's hits the road for a pair of weekend games, beginning with a 7 p.m. Friday contest at Franklin Pierce University.