SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team finished its season series with Saint Anselm College with a 5-1 loss Saturday afternoon in Cairns Arena. The Purple Knights, who played their final home game of the season, are now 3-19 while the Hawks improved to 18-2-3.

First-year Krista Ferrari (Dunstable, Mass./East Coast Wizards) notched her second goal of the season for the hosts as senior Katherine O'Brien (East Sandwich, Mass./Tilton School) and sophomore Arianna Boscia (Cranston, R.I./La Salle Academy) pitched in the assists. Junior Nicole Talcott (Colchester, Vt./Rice Memorial Prep) played 59:59 in net with 47 saves. Purple Knight skaters combined to block 27 more shots, including senior Jillian Witwicki (Danvers, Mass./Pingree School) blocking nine while also going 9-for-19 on faceoffs. Classmate Kaitlyn Wurzer (Lee, N.H./Berwick Academy) registered six blocks and a 6-of-13 faceoff performance.

First-year Katy Meehan recorded a hat trick for the Hawks while also going 11-for-17 from the dot. First-years Mary Lambert and Nicole Saber had a goal each while senior Kaitlyn Spillane and sophomore Kaley Campbell had two assists apiece. Sophomore goaltender Michaela Kane had six saves in 59:39.

First-year Emily Lanci (Canton, Mass./Lawrence Academy) sent a back-handed shot at 4:05 in the first stanza that Kane saved before Talcott shut down back-to-back tries by Spillane at 5:48. At 8:49 Spillane had a breakaway in which Talcott denied her bid. Later in the stanza, first-year Megan Doherty (Stoughton, Mass./Walpole Express) had a breakaway of her own at 16:39 and sailed a shot straight at Kane, who grabbed the puck. Talcott had a blocker save at 18:54 off of sophomore Amanda Conger's try, keeping the game scoreless.

During a power play 33 seconds into the second period, Meehan tallied her first goal, shooting from the slot to hit the low left side of the net. The Hawks had a two-on-one opportunity at 6:47, but Talcott denied the chance.  First-year Maddie Gervais (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) took a short, hard shot at 10:50 from the right circle that Kane covered. With a wide open shot at 16:52, Talcott saved first-year Madison Sprague's bid. The Purple Knights tied the game at 18:27 as Ferrari received a pass from O'Brien on the right side and ripped a shot from the right circle into the upper left corner and under Kane's blocker.

The final period featured four goals from Saint Anselm. Meehan struck for the game-winner at 2:17, grabbing her own rebound and scoring from the slot. She completed the hat trick at 9:15, taking Campbell's pass from behind the net and finding an open right side of the net. Saber tipped her goal in off of senior Samantha Boyer's shot at 12:35 and Lambert finished off the scoring at 18:35, hitting a one-timer from the slot. O'Brien looked to get a second goal for the Purple Knights in the closing stages but had a bid denied by Kane.

The Purple Knights travel to Post University next weekend for a two-game series, starting on Friday at 5:15 p.m.