EAST BOSTON – Shana Cote potted a hat trick to push Suffolk women's hockey past Curry, 4-1, Friday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Curry 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-5-1, 8-1-1 CCC) | Curry (6-7-2, 4-4-2 CCC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk had a couple chances in the opening period two had Ram Nation on the edge of their seat including Sofia Scilipoti's breakaway. On the Rams' own penalty kill, the junior assistant captain skated in front of a Colonels' pass in Suffolk's zone and worked her way down the ice towards Soleil Archambeault. Scilipoti went high with her attempt, but it was just a touch too much as it dinged off the post to keep zeros on the board.
After going 0-for-2 on the power play in the first fame, Suffolk made sure it made the most of its third man-up opportunity of the night. The chance came just 1:26 into the middle period as Ainsley Wecott sat down in the box for hooking. The Rams won the face off, worked the puck around the zone before Miranda Gaudet put an attempt on target. Archambeault managed to deny the graduate student, but the same could not be said for Cote's rebound. The captain netted the game-opening goal at the 1:54 mark of the second period.
Penalties continued to factor into the scoring, however it was Curry that capitalized next. Suffolk successfully skated off Liliana Moose's penalty for cross checking that came at the 13:28 mark of the second stanza but couldn't hold off the Colonels on Natasha Savage's second penalty of the night, inference at 15:42. Danielle Stein caught Lily O'Neil off guard and clipped the game-tying goal over the junior's stick side shoulder to even the score at 1-all. Ali Olorenshaw and Katie Courteau helped set-up Stein's marker.
Suffolk's top-line trio of Cote, Gaudet and Scilipoti teamed up for the go-ahead go 5:02 into the third period. Scilipoti had the puck behind the cage, dished to Gaudet, who's shot went wide. Like the first goal of the day, Cote was there to pick up the pieces and chipped it into the back of the twine to regain the advantage for the host.
Cote game in clutch when she converted the hat trick, the second of her collegiate career, at the 12:31 mark on the power play. History continued to repeat itself as she once again used the rebound from a turned aside Gaudet attempt to push the puck past the line to extend the gap to a pair of goals, 3-1.
More insurance came for the blue-and-gold 26 seconds later. Cassidy Gruning sniped a shot from just inside the left face off dot to spread the margin to 4-1.
Suffolk commanded the pace of play for the remainder of regulation and O'Neil denied the pair of shots that the Colonels put on target to preserve the conference victory.
NETMINDER NOTES
- O'Neil logged 12 saves in the victory.
- Archambeault had an above-average, 53-save effort.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Cote put together a three-goal performance.
- Gaudet and Scilipoti both dished out three assists.
- Gruning found the back of the net once.
- Jesse Kennedy and Elise Wainwright each handed out one assist.
- Suffolk outshot Curry, 57-13, and won the face off battle, 35-26.
- The Rams went 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Colonels converted 25.0 percent (1-4) of their man-up opportunities.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk defeated Curry for the first time since Feb. 17, 2022, a 9-1 offensive onslaught.
- The Rams moved to 4-1-0 all-time against the Colonels.
- Suffolk moved to 3-1-0 record at home against Curry.
- The Rams have outscored the Colonels, 28-10 all-time.
- Cote produced her third collegiate hat trick, first since netting three goals against Western New England in a 5-0 shutout Jan. 15, 2022.
- Cote is the first Ram to produce a hat trick this season. She was the last player to produce a hat trick, accomplishing the feat versus the Golden Bears of WNE Jan. 15, 2022.
- Gaudet registered a career-high three assists for the third time this season.
- Scilipoti set-up a personal-best three handouts.
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk and Curry conclude the home-and-home series tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3:00 p.m. at Canton Ice House.
