SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team opened the season by losing to 2024 NCAA Tournament Final Four qualifier No. 3 Clarkson University, 9-0, on Friday evening in Cairns Arena. The contest was the first for the Purple Knights under head coach Meghan Sweezey '10, whose charges were aided by junior Annika Lavender (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) making a career-high 69 saves. The Golden Knights were ranked third in the latest USA Hockey national poll.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (0-1), Clarkson (1-0)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Junior Annika Lavender (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), 69 saves (career high) in 53:13, loss
• Sophomore Kenna Dans (Marshfield, Mass./Lovell Academy), 11 saves in 6:47 of relief (college debut)
• First-year Ellie Newpower (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), 6 blocked shots
• Junior Emersynn McGillis (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean Jr. Wildcats), 4 blocked shots
• Graduate student Mary Leys (Newport, R.I./Saint George's School), 9-for-17 faceoffs
• Sophomore Anna Jerylo (Stillwater, Minn./Gentry Academy), 8 faceoff wins

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Sidney Fess, 1 goal, 2 assists
• Graduate student Nicole Gosling, 1 goal, 2 assists
• First-year Raedyn Spademan, 1 goal, 2 assists
• Junior Julia Minotti, 6 saves

GAME FACTS

• Lavender's 69 saves were the second-most in program history, short only of the 86 Kristen Salierno '09 made at Manhattanville College on Feb. 18, 2006.
• During the contest, Lavender passed Melanie Cullen '09 (1,572) for fifth in program history by pushing her career save total to 1,579.
• Lavender had the most saves by a Division I goalie since Quinnipiac University's Corinne Schroeder made 73 against Ohio State University on March 12, 2022, and the most by a New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) netminder since Sacred Heart University's Frankie Sanchez registered 72 against Robert Morris University on Feb. 20, 2021.
• Lavender made her first appearance since finishing the 2023-24 season with a NEWHA-record and nation-leading 1,171 saves.

THE ACTION

• Senior Haley Winn struck 2:42 into the contest to give Clarkson the lead for good, but Lavender held the visitors at bay for much of the opening frame, making 28 saves alone in that period.
• Fess provided the primary assist on senior Jenna Goodwin's goal with 12:29 gone before scoring one of her own on the power play at 17:28.
• After Keira Hurry pushed the lead to 4-0 at 7:17 of the second stanza, Lavender made a stellar blocker save of graduate student Caroline Goffredo's point-blank bid during a power play at 10:32, one of 29 stops the netminder made in the period.
• Clarkson scored twice in the final 3:44 of the second period and added a trio more in the closing 6:47 of regulation.
• First-year Vanessa Sampl (Lincoln, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas U18 AA) nearly put the Purple Knights on the board 3:15 into the third period, being denied by Minotti out front while falling to the ice.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. Clarkson, 3 p.m.