BOSTON – Five unanswered Rams goals, two on the power play, pushed Suffolk women's hockey past UMass Boston, 5-1, in the consolation contest of the 16th Codfish Bowl Sunday afternoon at Edward T. Barry Rink.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 5 | UMass Boston 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-7-0) | UMass Boston (3-4-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
UMass Boston managed to break onto the scoreboard first when Emily Hansen struck on the power play just over six minutes into the contest with help from Katie Wilbert and Allie Feifler
The Rams leveled the playing field at the 15:01 mark thanks to Sydney Fascetta's power play goal. The graduate Ram's game-tying goal came off a deflection from Kellie Popkin's wrister from the point. Elise Wainwright assisted on the goal as well after a back-and-forth with Popkin at the blue line.
Three and a half minutes later, Anya Nichipor gave the blue-and-gold the edge it would not relinquish. The Rams rookie banked the puck off Leah Bosch's leg and into the back of the net to give Suffolk the 2-1 edge. Jenna Caballero and Liliana Moose aided into the go-ahead goal.
At the midway point of the middle period, Suffolk doubled the distance. Elise Wainwright received a centering pass from Newkirk and fired a one-timer over Bosch's stick side shoulder to extend the margin to 3-1. Vanessa Stuart set-up the shot.
Caballero returned to the ice from the sin bin at just the right moment as she picked up the puck for a one-on-one with Bosch and put the puck away to make it a 4-1 game with 34 seconds to go before the second intermission.
With less than a minute in regulation, the Rams tacked on one more tally. Sammy Lassman chipped Moose's shot home for the 5-1 final. Aiden Levee-Oshiro notched an assist on the play as well.
NETMINDER NOTES
- Lily O'Neil registered a 15-save effort in the victory.
- Bosch finished with 18 saves over the first two periods for the Beacons.
- Abby Seaman logged eight saves in the third frame.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Caballero and Wainwright both finished with identical two-point, one-goal, one-assist stat lines.
- Moose also had a pair of points, both on assists.
- Fascetta, Lassman and Nichipor scored once apiece for Suffolk.
- Levee-Oshiro, Newkirk and Popkin handed out one assist each.
- Suffolk overpowered UMass Boston in shots, 31-16.
- UMB won the face off battle, 33-30.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk competed in the Codfish Bowl for the first time in program history this season.
- The Rams moved to 1-1-0 in the Codfish Bowl.
- Suffolk's five goals tie a season-high and are the most strikes in the Abby Ostrom era.
- The Rams improved to 4-3-1 all-time against UMass Boston, defeating the Beacons for the first time since Oct. 30, 2021.
- Suffolk remains unbeaten when it plays at UMass Boston, 3-0-1.
- The five goals scored by the Rams tie a program-best in the all-time series. It is the second time Suffolk has scored five goals against UMass Boston, first since Oct. 30, 2021, a 5-4 win for the blue-and-gold.
- Caballero scored her first goal of the year and contributed two points for the third time this season.
- Wainwright netted her first goal of the season and finished with a season-best two points.
- Nichipor tallied her first collegiate goal.
- Moose matched a career-high two assists.
- Fascetta scored her second goal of the season.
- Lassman logged her third goal of the year.
- Levee-Oshiore notched her first collegiate assist.
- Newkirk is on a two-game point streak. She has dished out an assist in each of the last two games.
- Popkin produced her third assist of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk turns its attention back to Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play next weekend, Dec. 1-2, with a home-and-home series against University of New England on tap. The Rams make the trip to Biddeford, Maine Friday for 7 p.m. action, before hosting the Nor'Easters Saturday at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink at 4:50 p.m.