SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - First-year Jodie Gratton's (Saint Albans, Vt./Proctor Academy) first career goal midway through the third period lifted the Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team past Saint Anselm College, 2-1, during New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) play on Saturday in Cairns Arena.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (3-21, 3-15 NEWHA), Saint Anselm (7-14-3, 7-8-3 NEWHA)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Alizée LeBlanc (Dieppe, New Brunswick/Ridley College), 2 assists, +2, 11-for-16 faceoffs
• First-year Jodie Gratton (Saint Albans, Vt./Proctor Academy), 1 goal (1st career)
• First-year Alicia McDonald (Clearwater, Fla./East Ottawa Junior Stars U22 AA), 1 goal (1st career)
• Sophomore Anna Jerylo (Stillwater, Minn./Gentry Academy), 1 assist, 6-for-11 faceoffs
• Sophomore Victoria FitzGibbon (Stittsville, Ontario/East Ottawa Junior Stars U22 AA), 1 assist
• Junior Annika Lavender (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), 45 saves
• Graduate student Mary Leys (Newport, R.I./Saint George's School), 10-for-17 faceoffs
• Junior Elisabeth Gerebi (Victoria, Minn./Chanhassen), 5-for-12 faceoffs
• Sophomore Isabel Goolie (Anchorage, Alaska/Gilmour Academy), 3 blocked shots
• First-year Audrey Hetman (Gurnee, Ill./Milwaukee Jr. Admirals), 3 blocked shots
• First-year Ellie Newpower (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), 3 blocked shots

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Sophomore Hailey Tullo, 1 goal
• Junior Ava Hills, 34 saves

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights held a 33-25 lead in faceoff wins, while Saint Anselm had a 46-36 advantage in shots.
• Including Friday night's meeting, fourteen of the past 19 games between Saint Michael's and Saint Anselm have been determined by two goals or fewer.
• Saint Michael's earned its first home win over the Hawks.

THE ACTION

• FitzGibbon rung the right post with 1:34 gone in the opening period during a power play before being denied from the right circle shortly thereafter.
• Saint Anselm scored the lone goal of the frame at 11:16, as Tullo knocked in senior Audrey Jackson's pass along the goal mouth during a power play.
• After LeBlanc had a shot stopped in the left circle 3:20 into the second period, the rebound kicked out to senior Angelina Ruiz (Independence, Minn./Gentry Academy), whose one-time blast from the right circle was smothered by Hills.
• McDonald put home the tying goal at 7:50, tapping in a loose puck following a scrum out front. LeBlanc provided the primary assist, with Jerylo adding the secondary helper.
• First-year Kismet Dogan nearly put the Hawks back ahead at 11:57, sliding a puck across the goal mouth and off the far post.
• During the latter stages of the third period, FitzGibbon took a turnover near center ice and sent a pass to the blue line for LeBlanc, whose touch redirection sprung Gratton toward the net. The rookie's bid from the left circle squirted its way through Hills and just inside the far post at 12:15 for the eventual game-winner.
• Lavender made the lead stand up with 23 stops in the final stanza, including nine down the stretch after Saint Michael's had taken the lead. She denied an outstretched junior Cora Webber with 20 seconds left before the Hawks were assessed a penalty, all but helping the hosts secure the victory.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Friday at Stonehill College, 6:30 p.m.