POTSDAM, N.Y. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team opened its 2016-17 campaign with a 3-0 loss to the State University of New York at Potsdam on Friday afternoon in Maxcy Ice Arena. The teams complete their season-opening home-and-home series on Saturday at Cairns Arena in South Burlington at 4 p.m.

Senior Abby Burke (Bedford, Mass./The Rivers School) turned in her 21st career 30-save outing, recording 33 stops, while classmate Erin Dwyer (Weymouth, Mass./Archbishop Williams) went 14-for-25 on faceoffs. Junior Jillian Witwicki (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) split her 12 draws, winning six. Saint Michael's held SUNY Potsdam to a 1-for-7 showing on power plays.

Senior Jordan Ott, junior Anna-Rose Bertin and sophomore Jenna Patterson all scored for the Bears, classmate Nicole Watson handed out two assists, and first-year Alexa Pfeiffer worked the 22-save shutout.

The Purple Knights opened the first period with five of the game's first six shots, including three during a power play that began just 5:51 into their season, but Pfeiffer stopped each attempt, and the hosts countered with 11 of the next 12 shots to end the period, scoring twice. Burke made a save of her own during a Bear power play soon thereafter, but SUNY Potsdam broke through on another woman advantage with 12:33 gone, as Bertin tallied. Just 2:41 later, Ott doubled the lead. Saint Michael's went without a shot on a power play during the latter portion of the period and trailed by a pair of goals heading into the intermission.

Burke made 12 of her stops during a shutout second period, including recording two in an early four-on-four and another on an ensuing Bear power play. Saint Michael's went on the woman advantage at 3:33, with Dwyer and junior Amanda Donahoe (Wakefield, Mass./Saint Mary's) both having attempts stopped in that time, and Burke recorded five saves during another SUNY Potsdam power play mid-period to keep the teams separated by two goals. Three Purple Knights had bids to chip the deficit denied on a power play that began at 12:53.

Burke turned away four power-play shots within the first 1:53 of the third, and Witwicki looked to trim the margin but had a power-play shot stopped soon thereafter. Saint Michael's earned another player-up opportunity at 16:55, but shots by Witwicki and seniors Sarah Bagley (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) and Lauren Cuculino (Glen Mills, Pa./Quakers) during that stretch were stopped. With 46 seconds remaining, Patterson knocked home an insurance tally.