UTICA, N.Y. – Suffolk women's hockey fell in a three-goal hole it could not find its way out of to drop a 4-2 decision to Wilkes in the consolation contest of the Utica Kick-Off Tournament Saturday at the Nexus Center. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Wilkes 4
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-2-0) | Wilkes (1-1-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Wilkes poured in three first period strikes, including a power play marker, to build a comfortable 3-0 advantage at the first intermission.  

Maddie Gagliano lit the lamp 39 seconds into the middle period with help from Alexia Hill to ignite Suffolk's scoring.  

The Colonels' regained their three-goal cushion 12 minutes later though and Suffolk found itself down, 4-1.  

With 1:25 remaining in the second stanza, Cassie Borowski scored a short-handed strike with help from Kate Pohl and Liliana Moose to trim the gap in half, 4-2. 

The Rams put on pressure in the third and peppered Audrey Milne with 10 shots over the final 20 minutes. Wilkes' goaltender denied the double-digit attempts to keep the score still and hand the blue-and-gold the setback.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• Katelyn Michals took the loss with a 16-save effort. 
• Milne finished with a 28-save performance.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Gagliano and Borowski scored Suffolk's goals with one apiece. Borowski's marker was shorthanded. 
• Hill, Pohl and Moose each recorded one assist. 
• Suffolk outshot Wilkes, 30-20. 
• The Rams were unable to take advantage of their seven power play opportunities. 
• Wilkes, meanwhile, went 1-for-4 on the man-up chances. 
• The Colonels' defense blocked five shots, while Hill and Sammy Lassman had one block each for the Ram's blue liners.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Wilkes met for the first time in program history.
• The Rams had their first short-handed marker since scoring one in the 4-1 win at Nichols Feb. 3, 2024. 
• Borowski scored her first short-handed goal. 
• Hill produced her first collegiate point with one assist. 
• Pohl logged her first point as a Ram in one helper.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk turns its attention to Conference of New England competition, which opens next weekend, Nov. 8-9 with a home-and-home series against Endicott. The Rams travel to Beverly Friday for a 5:00 p.m. showdown before hosting the Gulls in Eastie Saturday at 4:50 p.m.