SHELTON, Conn. – The storylines were plentiful for both sides as Post University Women's Ice Hockey returned home to the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton, Connecticut on Friday afternoon for their first game since the winter break. Taking on Stonehill College in their first of 14 straight conference games to close out the 2023-24 regular season, the Eagles would have a different look to start the new year. 
 
Post is without Head Coach Gretchen Silverman and Assistant Coach Christopher Huntington on the bench for the weekend series against the Skyhawks due to COVID protocols and had three scratches on their team of 24 in Friday's matchup. For the Skyhawks, they would be riding with just one goalie in sophomore Eve Stone – earlier this season sophomore defenseman Hannah Squires stepped in as the emergency goaltender for a pair of games against Saint Michael's which she would pick up the win in.  
 
With Director of Hockey Operations Larry Erickson and Men's Ice Hockey Head Coach Tim Richter on the bench leading the way for Post, the shorthanded Eagles would put up a physical fight, but fall short in a 3-0 loss to the Skyhawks.
 
THE BASICS

Post University 0, Stonehill College 3

Post University (4-17-0, 4-11-0 NEWHA)

Stonehill College (9-12-0, 9-6-0 NEWHA) 

HOW IT HAPPENED  
The Skyhawks would net two against senior goalie Grace Glasrud in the opening period, both coming off the stick of sophomore forward Bailey Feeney. The first goal would come just under halfway through the frame when sophomore defenseman Lily Barrett hit her with a pass on the left side of the ice. Streaking up that side, Feeney worked around one Eagle defender and fired on Glasrud into the top corner for her first goal of the day. 
 
Just over six minutes, Feeney netted her second of the day once again from Barrett and also sophomore forward Brianna Walkom. At the top of the right circle, Barrett fired in the direction of Glasrud and Feeney's stick would happen to redirect the puck which caught her off guard as it trickled into the back of the net to put Stonehill ahead by two after one. For the Eagles, they would manufacture five shots on goal against Stone with a couple of quality scoring opportunities that the sophomore would control.  
 
A physical second period for both sides led to the first power play opportunity of the day for Post with 5:05 remaining in the frame with a chance to cut into their two-goal deficit after a holding penalty to sophomore defenseman Maeve Carey. The Skyhawk defense would allow just one shot against Stone which was fired near the blue line by junior defenseman Sajel Desai and easily corralled. A minute later, Stonehill would have their first power play chance of the day when freshman forward Macy Peterson was issued an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 10-minute misconduct. Despite a 15-4 shot-on-goal margin for the Skyhawks, neither team's goalie would budge as the score remained 2-0 heading into the third.  

In their best period of the afternoon, the Eagles rattled off nine shots against Stone while having three power-play chances. However, three penalty kills minimized the opportunities for Post to sustain offensive zone pressure against the Skyhawks as the deficit remained at two goals. Going on their final power play of the afternoon with 2:30 left in regulation, Glasrud would head to the bench, and following a pair of shots against Stone, sophomore defenseman Sydney Russell would fire down the length of the ice for the empty net goal, solidifying Stonehill's 3-0 win.  

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Making her 11^th start of the season, Grace Glasrud made 46 stops on 48 attempts from Stonehill College in the loss 
• Eve Stone earned her second shutout win of the season as she stopped all 18 shots by Post University  
• Post University finished 0-for-5 on the power play, totaling just four shots across those advantages -- The Eagles are now 0-for-26 in their last seven games on the power play with the last man-up goal coming against Franklin Pierce University on November 11^th 
• With a perfect 4-for-4 penalty kill, Post University snapped a five-game streak in which they had allowed a power play goal to their opponent  
• In the all-time series now, Post University is 1-8-0 against Stonehill College and has now been shutout in back-to-back games against them for the first time in program history  

WHO'S NEXT
Post University plays Stonehill College one more time during the 2023-24 regular season, tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM back at home at the Sports Center of Connecticut Lower Rink in Shelton, Connecticut. The remainder of the regular season schedule sees the Eagles face off against each New England Women's Hockey Alliance team twice a piece with Post having eight more home games including tomorrow afternoon's matchup.