WINCHENDON, Mass. - Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey first-year Emily Lanci (Canton, Mass./Lawrence Academy) struck for the game-tying goal with three minutes remaining before fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University scored the winner with 1:53 left on Wednesday, felling the No. 5 Purple Knights, 2-1, in the opening round of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Tournament at The Winchendon School's Ritchie Ice Arena.

Saint Michael's ended the postseason at the hands of Franklin Pierce for the third straight season, finishing 5-22 while suffering its second one-goal setback against the Ravens this winter. The Purple and Gold absorbed 12 losses by three goals or fewer this season. Franklin Pierce, now 15-11-2, advances to take on No. 1 Saint Anselm College on Saturday in the semifinals.

Lanci recorded her third goal this winter, while junior Nicole Talcott (Colchester, Vt./Rice Memorial Prep) made 23 saves. Senior Jillian Witwicki (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) went 12-for-16 on faceoffs and blocked four shots, while classmate Kaitlyn Wurzer (Lee, N.H./Berwick Academy) won seven draws. In her first season as a starting goaltender, Talcott ended the year with 790 saves, the third-highest figure in program history, behind only Erin Stevens '13, as she currently stands eighth in NCAA Division I/II. Witwicki completed her career tied for sixth in program history in career power-play goals (7), tied for 10th in goals (18), and 15th in points (31).

Senior Alex Brolsma buried Franklin Pierce's winning goal, and sophomore Delaney Guimont also scored during the third period. Senior Madison Murray made 16 saves, as the hosts held edges of 25-17 in shots and 21-20 on faceoffs.

The teams entered the third period scoreless and remained tied after Talcott made a save and Witwicki blocked a shot around the one-minute mark. Guimont broke the deadlock at 6:09, taking a shot from the blue line that went through traffic past a screened Talcott. Talcott registered back-to-back stops around 10:30 near the end of a Raven power play to keep it 1-0, and Murray made five stops between then and the Purple Knight goal, as Lanci knocked home a rebound at 17:00 of sophomore defender Alissa Sullivan's (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) initial saved shot. First-year Krista Ferrari (Dunstable, Mass./East Coast Wizards) had the other assist.

Saint Michael's looked to go ahead shortly thereafter, but two shots were blocked before first-year defender Courtney Kelly (Arlington, Mass./Boston Jr. Shamrocks) had a bid stopped by Murray near 17:45. With play shifting to the other end of the ice, Brolsma knocked home her winner during a scramble out front from the left side of the crease at 18:07. Despite winning two of the final three faceoffs, the Purple Knights were unable to release another shot or get Talcott to the bench in favor of another attacker, spending the last 1:18 killing a penalty.

Sophomore defender Torrie Gray (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) blocked sophomore Katie Neuburger's shot late in the first minute of the contest, and Talcott rattled off consecutive saves just before the two-minute mark. Talcott came up with three more stops in a 15-second span just after six minutes passed, and added another stop during a Raven power play around 10:40, just after Wurzer blocked a shot. Sullivan was denied shortly thereafter, and junior Madison Nichols (Gilford, N.H./Tilton School) had a shot stopped around 16 minutes before two quick Purple Knight follow-up attempts went wide.

Ferrari blocked Neuburger's shot two minutes into the second period before Talcott denied the follow-up attempt, and Witwicki blocked a third try later in the sequence. Around 7:30, Talcott stopped Brolsma's shot to kick off a spurt that included senior Amanda Donahoe (Wakefield, Mass./Saint Mary's) blocking a bid, Brolsma sending a third attempt wide, and Talcott capping the series with a save of Neuburger. Senior Katherine O'Brien's (East Sandwich, Mass./Tilton School) shot was turned away by Murray at 9:07, and Wurzer had consecutive bids saved around the 10-minute mark. During a woman advantage that began at 13:35, Witwicki and sophomore defender Arianna Boscia (Cranston, R.I./La Salle Academy) both had one shot blocked, and two Saint Michael's shots were saved and two more were blocked in the final four minutes. With a little more than 90 seconds left, first-year Maddie Gervais (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) rung the post.