Women’s Hockey Comes Back in Season Opener at Plymouth State, 4-2

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Suffolk women's hockey began its fifth campaign in the win column with a 4-2 come-from-behind win over Plymouth State Friday afternoon at Hanaway Rink. The Rams sprung back from a two-goal, first period deficit with four unanswered strikes in the second period to defeat the Panthers.  

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

HOW IT HAPPENED
A huge individual effort by Meghan Hamilton pushed the Panthers ahead, 1-0. There was one white jersey surrounded by five blue-and-gold sweaters, however, that did not stop Hamilton from shooting a wrist shot towards Lily O'Neil. The Rams junior goalie could not make the scoop save, which allowed Plymouth State to get on the board 9:02 into the action.  

Suffolk saw a chance to level the playing field as it went on its first power play of the season 40 seconds after PSU took the lead. Not only did the Rams have one extra skater, but the visitors went on a 5-on-3 for 33 seconds at the midway point of the opening period. PSU's netminder Amelia Julian handled herself on the penalty kill with six stops to keep the one-goal advantage for the Panthers.   

Plymouth State doubled the margin late in the first frame when Siri Brett scored with 2:19 before the first intermission. Brett scooped up Mia Zaniboni's in front and easily chipped it into the cage to give the Panthers a 2-0 cushion at the 17:41 mark.  

Taylor Wasylk's locker room pep talk between the first and second period worked as Suffolk scored three unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes to flip the lead in its favor, 3-2.   

Two minutes out of the locker room Miranda Gaudet sliced the gap in half. The graduate student transfer snagged a loose puck in the neutral zone, brought it towards Julian and had a one-on-one with the goaltender. Gaudet skated from the left, swooped to the right and tucked away a shot on Julian's glove side to make it 2-1 Plymouth State.  

Less than a minute later a new game ensued as the Rams leveled the playing field. Madison Duff sent a shot from the point towards Julian. The senior captain's attempt went wide landed in front of Shana Cote, who banged home the rebound to even matters at 2-all 3:24 into the second stanza. 

As the midway point of the second period loomed Suffolk worked the Panthers zone on the power play. Livia Brehm saw an opening, found Leslie Steiner at the point and the sophomore defenseman's slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle lit the lamp to send Suffolk in front, 3-2. 

The damage was not done there as Cote poked one home with 6:37 remaining before the second intermission. Sam Molind circle around the faceoff dot to keep the puck alive during a Suffolk line change. On the switch up, Molind fed Cote, who skated hard to the net, took it around and dished to Brehm right in front, who stuffed in a shot at the near post. The rookie's first collegiate strike of the day gave the blue-and-gold a two-goal, 4-2, cushion, at the 13:34 mark of the second, which remained at the end of regulation.   

NETMINDER NOTES

• O'Neil registered six stops in the victory. 
• Julian registered 21 saves in the setback.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Ten different Suffolk skaters recorded at least one point. 
• Brehm finished the day with two points on one goal and one assist. 
• Cote, Gaudet and Steiner scored one goal each. 
• Duff, Sammy Lassman, Molind and Sofia Scilipoti all handed out one assist apiece. 
• Suffolk held the upper hand in shots, 25-8. 
• The Rams won the faceoff battle, 33-10. 
• The blue-and-gold converted 25 percent (1-4) of its power plays and was perfect (3-3) on the penalty kill.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams won their third straight season debut to move to 3-2-0 in their first game of the year all-time. 
• Suffolk opened its campaign on the road for the third time in program history, first time since 2019-20. 
• Suffolk won its first season debut when playing on the road. The Rams are 1-2-0 in its first contest of a campaign as the away team. 
• The Rams recorded 13 points on four goals and nine assists to tie season-opening point record, that was set in the 2020-21 opener, a 5-3 victory over Nichols, Feb. 26, 2021. 
• Suffolk met Plymouth State in its season opener for the second straight season. 
• The Rams are unbeaten, 2-0-0, when facing the Panthers in their season opener. 
• Suffolk improved to 5-1-0 all-time versus PSU. 
• The Rams have won four games in a row against the Panthers. 
• Suffolk has outscored Plymouth State 22-11 all-time including a 14-5 margin in the last three meetings. 
• At Plymouth, Suffolk is now 2-1-0. 
• Gaudet scored her second collegiate goal, first as a Suffolk Ram.  
• Cote has contributed at least one goal in the last three season openers for Suffolk.
• Cote has registered at least one point in four of the Rams' five season openers. 
• Brehm notched her first collegiate points. 
• The Rams have produced a power play goal for the third time in a season opener in program history. 
• Steiner is the third-ever Ram to register a power play goal in the first game of the season, joining Cote and Scilipoti, who each produced a man-up tally in the 2021 debut versus Plymouth State, Oct. 29, 2021. 
• Molind matched a career-high one assist. 
• Lassman dished out the first assist of her career.  

POST-GAME PIC

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
Suffolk will lift the lid on its home schedule tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 29 when it welcomes UMass Boston to Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink for a 4:50 p.m. Beantown battle.