SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team opened a two-game weekend series with Franklin Pierce University on Friday evening, losing a 3-0 New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) decision in Cairns Arena.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-11-1, 2-6-1 NEWHA), Franklin Pierce (14-8, 5-6 NEWHA)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Vika Simons (Essex Junction, Vt./Minnesota Duluth Club), 41 saves
• First-year Jenna Harrison (Kitchener, Ontario/Wellesley), 10-for-18 faceoffs

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Sophomore Nicole Amato, 2 goals
• Sophomore Haley Parker, 1 goal
• First-year Emme Ostrander, 19 saves

GAME FACTS

• Opener of two-game weekend series.
• The Purple Knights held Franklin Pierce to a shade less than its scoring average (3.24) entering the night, which was ninth among all NCAA Division I/II teams.
• Simons' third 40-save game of the season.

THE ACTION

• Simons made 15 stops in the first period, including denying junior Delaney Guimont's shot from the slot with her blocker during a power play at 10:20 and turning away sophomore Marissa Massaro at 15:06 after Massaro made two quick moves out front.
• Franklin Pierce broke through at 16:19 during a woman advantage, as junior Meg Gilbride slid a backhanded pass across the crease and Amato finished at the right post.
• Junior Arianna Boscia (Cranston, R.I./La Salle Academy) sought the equalizer with 18:45 gone, but her bid from the right circle drilled Ostrander's blocker.
• Amato countered at the other end, forcing a giveaway inside the Purple Knight blue line before making one move out front and beating Simons to the glove side at 19:00.
• Simons kept it 2-0 with four straight point-blank saves around the 2:40 mark of the second period, and she later made a glove stop of junior Bridgette Prentiss's power-play blast from the right circle at 12:01 and denied Massaro's move at the left post with her right pad with 15:10 gone.
• Junior Jordan Monbouquette (Wayland, Mass./Lawrence Academy) nearly broke through at 8:10, but her one-timer from the slot was directed wide off of Ostrander's left toe.
• In the first minute of the third period, both Monbouquette and sophomore Maddie Gervais (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) had point-blank shots stopped on a power play.
• Simons denied Massaro's golden opportunity to make it 3-0 at 7:15, with Massaro skating in on a breakaway before moving to her backhand, but the netminder stopped the Raven with a right-pad save at the left post.
• The visitors added to their lead at 13:38, as Guimont sent a breakout pass into neutral ice for Parker, who skated through the right circle before going bar down for the final goal.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. Franklin Pierce, 1 p.m.
• The Purple Knights will honor their five seniors prior to the contest.