DURHAM, N.H. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team was within a goal of the University of New Hampshire until the final seconds of a 4-2 loss on Sunday at the Whittemore Center. The Wildcats were the first Hockey East opponent the Purple Knights had faced in program history.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (0-2), New Hampshire (2-0)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Mikaela Langbacka (Lorton, Va./Washington Pride), 1 goal, 1 assist
• Sophomore Emersynn McGillis (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean Jr. Wildcats), 1 goal (1st career)
• Sophomore Annika Lavender (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), 53 saves (career high)
• Junior Gaby Tribelli (Montreal, Quebec/Dawson College), 3 blocks
• First-year Anna Jerylo (Stillwater, Minn./Gentry Academy), 6-for-14 faceoffs

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Junior Kira Juodikis, 2 goals, 1 assist
• Senior Charli Kettyle, 1 goal
• Senior Chavonne Truter, 1 goal
• First-year Sedona Blair, 11 saves

GAME FACTS

• Saint Michael's opposed New Hampshire for the first time.
• While the Purple Knights had never faced an active Hockey East program, they did previously play the University of Connecticut in 2000-01 and were Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East/New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) counterparts of the College of the Holy Cross between 2001-02 and 2017-18.

THE ACTION

• The Purple Knights earned a 5-on-3 power play in the opening minute, and McGillis cashed in when her shot from the blue line went off of a Wildcat's stick at 1:18 of the first frame. Sophomore Lauren Fisher (Rothesay, New Brunswick/Rothesay Netherwood School) and Langbacka assisted.
• The Wildcats drew even at 12:36 of the opening frame, as Juodikis redirected senior Kyla Bent's pass into the slot.
• Truter roofed a shot from the left post over Lavender's left shoulder with 2:03 gone in the second period to put the hosts on top.
• Just 1:48 later, Truter stuffed in a third effort to put her team up by a 3-1 count.
• Langbacka drew the Purple Knights within 3-2 at 15:31, skipping a shot from a stride beyond the blue line through Blair's five hole.
• Down by one goal with Lavender pulled, Saint Michael's yielded an empty-net marker with 12 seconds remaining to Juodikis, who scored from along the boards in neutral ice while falling down.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Oct. 13 vs. Franklin Pierce University, 7 p.m.