WORCESTER, Mass. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team dropped a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) contest against Division I College of the Holy Cross, 3-1, at the Hart Center on Saturday. The Purple Knights are winless through 14 contests and 0-7 in the NEHC, while the Crusaders improve to 14-2 overall and 7-1.

Junior Jillian Witwicki (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) scored the lone goal for the Purple Knights, with classmate Kaitlyn Wurzer (Lee, N.H./Berwick Academy) adding the helper. In her first start of the season, senior Erica Ragazzo (Mansfield, Mass./Ursuline Academy) made 30 saves, as she reached the 30-save mark for the fourth time in her career. Junior Kara Violette scored twice and sophomore Julie Matthias tallied once or the Crusaders, while senior Elizabeth Scala won 15 faceoffs and added an assist. Junior Tessie Salatas made 15 saves in the win.

Ragazzo denied 12 shots from the Crusaders in the first period, and Witwicki put the Purple Knights ahead with 1:12 remaining. Ragazzo turned away 11 more attempts from Holy Cross in the second period, and the Purple Knights took a 1-0 lead into the third. The Crusaders tied the game 1:48 into the third, as Matthias finished with an assist from sophomore Jackie Gellner, to beat Ragazzo on their 23rd shot of the contest. The Crusaders took the lead halfway through the period, as Violette tallied with help from sophomore Tori Messina at 10:05. Violette notched an insurance marker at 17:22, giving the Crusaders a 3-1 lead that would stand.

Up next for the Purple Knights is an NEHC road contest against in-state opponent Castleton University on Friday at 4 p.m.