EAST BOSTON – Behind a pair of first period goals, Suffolk women's hockey defeated Nichols, 2-1, Friday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Nichols 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (12-2-0, 7-1-0 CCC) | Nichols (7-6-1, 4-5-1 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Julia Volpe and Emily Bozzi teamed with just under six minutes to go before the first intermission to get the Rams on the board. The senior and freshman zoomed out on a fast break. Volpe flipped a shot at Victoria Bakopanos that was tipped into the back of the net by Bozzi's stick to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at the 13:57 minute mark. Leslie Steiner had a hand in the game-opening goal as well. 

Suffolk doubled that distance 3:33 later when Sam Molind struck a score on the power play. Off a face-off, that was won by Shana Cote, the Rams worked the puck around until Molind managed to punch it past Bakopanos. Jesse Kennedy and Maddy Burton assisted on the man-up goal at the 17:30 minute mark.  

In the second, Suffolk saw a chance to pad the margin even more. Seven minutes into the stanza, a cluster formed in front of the Bison's cage and Burton tucked the puck into the back of the twine. After the Rams' celebrated, the refs signaled a no goal due to Bakopanos being hit on the play. The score remained the same over the next 13 minutes to keep the Rams in front, 2-0, as the teams headed to the locker room for the second time. 

Mel McAleer made things interesting in the third as she went on a breakaway. She deked out a blue-and-gold defender and backhanded a shot past Lily O'Neil to slice the Rams' lead in half, 2-1, with 6:14 remaining in regulation.

The Bison pulled Bakopanos from the net with 1:14 to go in a last-ditch effort to leveling the playing field. Nichols did not get a shot off in the span though and Suffolk skated to the 2-1 victory.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• O'Neil stopped 18 of the 19 shots she faced in the victory. 
• Bakopanos registered 31 saves in the setback.   

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Bozzi and Molind were responsible for the Rams' goals. 
• Burton, Kennedy, Steiner and Volpe all handed out one assist. 
• Suffolk commanded shots, 33-19, and face-offs, 27-22. 
• The Rams went 1-for-2 on the powerplay, while the host did not allow the Bison to capitalize on one of their first extra skater chances. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Nichols for the second time in program history. 
• The Rams have downed the Bison in back-to-back battles. 
• The blue-and-gold is now 2-2-1 versus Nichols all-time. 
• The Rams are 2-1-1 when hosting Nichols at Porrazzo Rink.
• Molind found the back of the net for the first time in her career. 
• Molind's first collegiate goal came in game-winning fashion. 
• Burton (1g, 2a) Kennedy (1g, 3a) and Molind (1g, 2a) are all on three game point streaks.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk and Nichols wrap up the home-and-home series tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 22 at Levy Rink in Harrisville, Rhode Island at 4:40 p.m.