Women’s Hockey Opens Series with Worcester State in Win Column, 4-2

WORCESTER, Mass. – Three different players scored to help Suffolk women's hockey keep its record perfect as it began a home-and-home series with Worcester State with a 4-2 victory over the Lancers Friday night at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Worcester State 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-0-0) | Worcester State (2-1-0)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk grabbed a two-goal lead over the first 20 minutes. The first came 3:07 into the action when Sofia Scilipoti picked up Leslie Steiner's rebound, brought the puck behind the cage and found Shana Cote waiting in front for an easy tap in over Amber Lee's right shoulder.  

The score stayed there until the final two minutes before the first intermission. Madison Duff sniped a shot from the blue line that hit Scilipoti's stick and snuck past Lee. The referees had to discuss the goal, but eventually it favored in the blue-and-gold's favor and the junior's strike doubled the distance to 2-0.  

Worcester State sliced the margin in half 1:45 out of the locker room. Layna Pereio lit the lamp with help from Shelby Reaugh and Sydney Vautour to trim the gap down to 2-1.  

Lee stood on her head over the remainder of the middle period as Suffolk peppered her with 20 shots. The Lancers netminder did not let a single one by though and the score stood still as the teams went to the locker room for the second time.  

Suffolk continued to control the pace of the game in the third period and eventually Lee was caught off guard when the Lancers were forced to skate with a player down as Julia Ravenell was set to the box for two minutes for body checking. The Rams worked the puck around the zone, passing back and forth at the blue line, and Payton Dockus saw an opening and took it. The puck got past Lee to restore the two-goal advantage for the blue-and-gold with 13:53 left in regulation.   

Scilipoti pushed the Rams ahead even further as she struck on the power play at the 13:31 minute mark to make it a 4-1 game. 

The Lancers continued to put pressure on the blue-and-gold though and got back within striking distance 56 seconds later thanks to Clare Conway.  

That would be the last goal of the night as both Hannah Gordon and Lee took care of business the rest of the way in between the pipes.  

NETMINDER NOTES

• Gordon had 19 saves in the victory. 
• Lee had a standout night with 47 stops in the setback.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Scilipoti paced Suffolk's offense with two goals and one assist.
• Cote and Dockus each provided one goal. 
• Duff, Franklin, and Steiner all handed out one helper. 
• Suffolk outpowered Worcester in shots, 51-21. 
• The Rams dominated the face-off circle as well, 38-25. 
• The blue-and-gold converted 42.9 percent (3-7) of its power plays and successfully killed off its three penalties. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Worcester State met for the first time. 
• Gordon made her collegiate debut in net. 
• The Rams are off to their best start in program history at 3-0. 
• Suffolk has produced four-plus goals in all three of its games this year. 
• The victory is Suffolk's first-ever in a home-and-home series in all-time history. 
• Cote and Scilipoti have each found the back of the net in all three of Suffolk's games this year. 
• Steiner has set-up at least one shot in every Rams' outing this season. 
• Cote extended her point streak to five games. In that stretch she has assembled 10 points on six goals and five assists. 
• Scilipoti scored a career-high two goals. 
• Franklin and Duff have registered assists in each of the last two games. 
• Dockus netted her first goal of the year. 
• Molind produced her first collegiate point with one assist. 

POST-GAME PIC

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams and Lancers are set for a rematch tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 6 when Worcester State visits East Boston for a 4:50 p.m. puck drop.