EAST BOSTON – Suffolk women's ice hockey captured its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion as Alexia Hill broke a 3-all game with 45 seconds remaining in regulation to send the Rams past Nichols, 4-3, in Conference of New England (CNE) action Friday night at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 4 | Nichols 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-1-1, 1-1-1 CNE) | Nichols (2-3-0, 0-3-0 CNE) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Rams was whistled for six penalties in the first frame, which allowed the Bison to out shoot the blue-and-gold 20-3 in the first 20 minutes. Katelyn Michals kept Suffolk in the game as the junior denied all 20 shots on target to keep zeros on the board at the first intermission.
• More penalties appeared to plague Suffolk's pace of play in the middle period, but not for long as Emma Holmes poked a Nichols pass, picked up the pieces and went for a 1-on-1 with Paige Almon. The rookie lit the lamp via short-handed to give the Rams a 1-0 edge 7:36 into the middle period. 
• The distance doubled 2:30 later when Ava Buckley potted her first collegiate puck. Like Emma Holmes, the freshman shot at an angle and the attempt knocked off Almon's pads and over the line to push Suffolk's advantage to 2-0. 
• Nichols made things interested as it poured in two power play goals over 1:03 to even the playing field. The Bison got on the board courtesy of Ema Jaskova, before Isabella Brennan tied the game at the 16:10 mark of the second stanza. 
• The visitors gained the upperhand with 36 seconds left in the middle period when Kerstin Ambruse lifted a shot over Michals' glove side shoulder. Brennan and Keira Goffe aided in marker that sent Suffolk into the locker room down, 3-2. 
• Suffolk used a power play goal of its own to level the playing field at the 8:08 mark of the third period. Liliana Moose took a shot from the point that was denied, but Hill scooped up the rebound and sent a pass across the ice to a waiting Emma Holmes, who chipped it home to make it 3-3.  
• The dramatic, last-minute goal was set-up by a defensive effort by Julia Holmes, who won the puck in a scuffle on the boards, sent a go-ahead pass to Hill, who sniped a top left-corner shot to give the Rams a 4-3 lead with 45 seconds left on the clock. 
• Nichols pulled its netminder from its post, but was unable to convert over the final seconds. 

NETMINDER NOTES

• Michals logged a 53-save effort in the victory, the squad's first of the year. 
• Almon turned aside 21 shots in the setback. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING 

• Hill had one goal, the game-winner, and one assist.
• Emma Holmes scored two goals. 
• Buckley logged one goal. 
• Julies Holmes and Moose notched one assist apiece. 
• Nichols outshot Suffolk, 56-25. 
• The Rams went 1-for-3 on the power play, and compiled an 8-for-11 effort on the penalty kill. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk moved to 12-3-2 all-time against Nichols. 
• The Rams defeated the Bison for the first time since Jan. 25, 2025. 
• The blue-and-gold is now 6-2-2 versus Nichols at home and holds a 4-1-0 record under Abby Ostrom. 
• Hill has produced one goal in all three games this season. The sophomore has three goals and one assist in the first three games. 
• Emma Holmes (2g), Ava Buckley (1g) and Julia Holmes (1a) registered their first collegiate points. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk goes for the home-and-home CNE series sweep tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 15 when it faces Nichols in a rematch at 3:40 p.m.