FAIRFIELD, Conn. - First-year Jodie Gratton (Saint Albans, Vt./Proctor Academy) scored twice, and the Saint Michael's College women's ice hockey team downed Sacred Heart University, 3-1, on Friday in the Martire Family Arena. The Pioneers began the day in first place in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA).
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-25, 4-19 NEWHA), Sacred Heart (15-11-3, 14-6-3 NEWHA)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• First-year Jodie Gratton (Saint Albans, Vt./Proctor Academy), 2 goals
• Junior Emersynn McGillis (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean Jr. Wildcats), 1 goal, 5 blocked shots
• First-year Jordana DeMarinis (Beeton, Ontario/Cambridge Jr. Rivulettes), 36 saves
• Sophomore Anna Jerylo (Stillwater, Minn./Gentry Academy), 6-for-13 faceoffs
• Graduate student Mary Leys (Newport, R.I./Saint George's School), 5-for-10 faceoffs
• First-year Ellie Newpower (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), 3 blocked shots

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Brianna Morden, 1 goal
• Sophomore Lauren Larson, 18 saves

GAME FACTS

• Saint Michael's is 3-5 in its last eight games, with four of the setbacks coming by two goals or less.
• The Purple Knights defeated the Pioneers for the first time since Jan. 12, 2018, and on Sacred Heart's home ice for the first time since Feb. 24, 2016, in a NEWHA Open Tournament play-in contest.
• Saint Michael's had a 20-6 advantage in blocked shots, while Sacred Heart held leads in shots (37-21) and faceoff wins (34-14).

THE ACTION

• DeMarinis made 10 first-period saves to keep Sacred Heart off the board.
• The Purple Knights went ahead with 10:46 gone in the second period, as junior defender Victoria FitzGibbon's (Stittsville, Ontario/East Ottawa Junior Stars U22 AA) stretch pass split two defenders and sprung McGillis for a breakaway. The blue liner finished to Larson's blocker corner for what proved to be the only goal of the frame. DeMarinis posted another 12 saves in the stanza.
• Gratton doubled the lead at 2:03 of the third period on a power play. LeBlanc provided pressure along the left boards to a Pioneer, whose wayward pass was picked off at the blue line by Gratton, who ultimately went glove side from the left circle.
• Gratton scored again at 7:04, crashing the left post and converting LeBlanc's pass from behind the net, again to the netminder's glove side.
• Morden cut into the Purple Knight lead 4:51 later, roofing a shot directly off of the faceoff from the left point.
• Sacred Heart pulled Larson in favor of an extra skater at 17:10, but DeMarinis made three of her 14 third-period stops down the stretch, while Newpower, McGillis and Leys also blocked shots.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday at Sacred Heart, 2 p.m.