FAIRFIELD, Conn. – With the regular season winding down and the NEWHA Tournament right around the corner, Post University Women's Ice Hockey was already locked into the seventh seed heading into the Quarterfinals next weekend and slated to play two-seeded Saint Anselm College. But even in a 4-3 defeat on the road against Sacred Heart University, the Eagles garnered momentum and showed some moxie heading into next weekend's tournament as they look to make some noise in the best-of-three series.
THE BASICS
Post University 3, Sacred Heart University 4
Post University (7-26-1, 7-20-1 NEWHA)
Sacred Heart University (15-19-2, 14-12-2 NEWHA)
HOW IT HAPPENED
After being shutout the night before by the Pioneers, junior defenseman Sajel Desai put an end to that scoreless stretch just over 3 ½ minutes on the power-play for Post. With the help of sophomore forwards Tristan Currie and Tymmarie Grom, Desai buried the first power-play goal for the Eagles in their last 33 attempts after they entered the day 1-for-35 in their last eight games while having a man advantage. Sacred Heart would respond with a score of their own to send the game into the second tied at one all after freshman forward Isabella Chaput, who had an assist in last night's game, scored with just over five minutes left in the frame from junior forwards Kate Helgeson and Sydney Antonakis.
That goal by Chaput would be the first of three unanswered goals that would ultimately propel the Pioneers to victory. After scoring in last night's affair, graduate forward Sophie Lupone tallied another for Sacred Heart in the second period with her team on the power-play and less than four minutes remaining in the frame. Then after Hegleson assisted on the first goal of the day for the home team, she would tally one of her own in the third that seemingly put the Pioneers safely ahead with 15:31 remaining.
But less than a minute later, freshman forward Jet Devlin would respond with her first collegiate goal from freshman defenseman Jodie Rose and junior defenseman Angeline Pitter to cut into the Eagle deficit, making it a 3-2 game. However, answering right back would be Chaput and the Pioneers who regained their two-goal advantage with the forward's second goal of the afternoon.
In the closing moments of the game, Currie would get one back for the Eagles when sophomore goalie Hali Lawrence was pulled for the empty net and Post went on a 6-on-4 advantage following a penalty to senior defenseman Maddie Rinklin. Currie would get her seventh goal of the season, the second power-play goal of the day, from Grom, who finished with two assists in the game, and freshman defenseman Dani Ammons with 16 seconds remaining in regulation before time would run out on the Eagles who fell 4-3 in their regular-season finale.
BY THE NUMBERS
- After going 1-for-35 in the last eight games and not scoring on 33 straight power-play chances -- Post University snapped that streak with Sajel Desai's goal on the man-up advantage in the first-period
- With a 1-for-2 day on the penalty kill, Post University allowed only their second power-play goal in the last seven games
- Playing in today's game, Caisey Van Den Oetelaar has now played in 100 career games over three seasons for Post University
- This was the first time since October 21st, 2023 in which Post University scored two power-play goals in the same game – That one ended in a 5-4 overtime loss against Assumption University on the road
WHO'S NEXT
Post University prepares for the NEWHA Tournament Quarterfinals set to take place next week as the seventh seed. The Eagles will take on Saint Anselm College in a three-game road series in hopes of advancing to the Semifinals for the first time in program history. Post is 0-25-0 all-time against the Hawks and this season were outscored 14-4 in the four-game series.
