WINCHENDON, Mass. – When Post University Women's Ice Hockey needed somebody to step up and score in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance Quarterfinals, they got it on both nights. After junior forward Tristan Currie's game-winner last night, it was senior forward and NEWHA Player of the Year Julia Wysocki's turn to do the damage for the seventh-seeded Eagles. Scoring her 18th goal of the season with under four minutes to go in regulation, Wysocki beat two-seeded Franklin Pierce University junior goalie Jill Hertl with a high shot that proved to be the difference maker in the game and series as Post swept the Ravens in two games with the 1-0 shutout win. 

Junior goalie Hannah Saunders made 30 saves, recording her program-record third straight shutout in net for Post and eighth overall as the Eagles advance to their first NEWHA Semifinals in program history and become the first sixth seed or lower in conference history to advance past the NEWHA Quarterfinals. Post will head to top-seeded LIU on Wednesday with a time still to be determined for when that game will take place with a trip to the NEWHA Championship on the line. 

THE BASICS

Post University 1, Franklin Pierce University 0

Post University (13-20-3)

Franklin Pierce University (17-14-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Like in Game One, both sides would go scoreless through the first period, which was similarly owned by Franklin Pierce as it was a little over 24 hours ago. However, Saunders was up to the test, making 13 saves against the Ravens while that would be matched by junior goalie Jill Hertl with seven saves on the Eagles in the first 20 minutes. Freshman defenseman Caryss Kehl had an opportunity on a two-on-one with six seconds left to give Post the lead, but would be turned away by Hertl.

After not manufacturing a single shot on three total power plays a day ago, Franklin Pierce would have two in the first, leading to five shots against Saunders with nothing doing. Stability in the faceoff dot was also a staple of the first for Post as they squeaked out a 10-9 edge in wins after getting beaten on 12-of-17 first-period faceoffs in the first game.

The physicality would ramp up in the second frame, leading to more penalties and offensive chances for both teams as the Eagles had an early power-play opportunity which they were unable to capitalize on. While the Ravens had two chances of their own on the man-up advantage in the second, in both instances they would respond by committing a penalty of their own, wiping out the power play and bringing it to an even 4-on-4 situation that led to Post having a brief power play at the tail end of it. 

Despite an even 8-8 shots on goal finish, Franklin Pierce nearly got the better of Saunders in net, ringing two shots off the crossbar and out as 40 minutes came and went with the game still being scoreless as was the case in Game One. 

While neither team would go on the power play in the third period, the physical play from both sides continued with neither giving the other an inch in the pursuit of finding the back of the net for what would likely be the game-winning goal of the affair. Enter Wysocki as freshman forward Rowyn Ringor pushed the puck up to the senior on the right side of the boards on the defensive end where she would do the rest.

Going the length of the ice and moving around one of her own players in senior defenseman Sajel Desai, who was laid out during the rush near the circle, Wysocki flipped the shot over the head of Hertl and into the back of the net with 3:53 left in regulation to deliver the final blow to the Ravens. Franklin Pierce would pull Hertl with 2:06 remaining, generating four total shots down the stretch with three of them being stopped by Saunders, who finished with 30 saves in the win, and one being blocked by sophomore forward Celena Mickevicius, before time expired on the 1-0 Game Two victory for Post. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Earning her eighth shutout of the season, the tenth of her career, and third in a row, Hannah Saunders made all 30 saves she needed to that she faced from Franklin Pierce University to earn her program-record 11th win of the season in net -- Saunders is the first Post University goalie to record a shutout in three consecutive games 
• In the series, Post University's penalty kill went a perfect 7-for-7 against Franklin Pierce University, which owned the top power-play conversion percentage entering the tournament -- The Eagle defense held the Ravens to just six shots during that span of seven chances
• This is the first time in program history in which Post University has swept a NEWHA Quarterfinals as well as advanced to the NEWHA Semifinals -- The closest the Eagles had come before this year was last season when they took two-seeded Saint Anselm College to three games before falling 6-1 in Game Three
• Entering the NEWHA Semifinals as the seventh seed, Post University becomes the first sixth seed or lower in the NEWHA Tournament to advance past the NEWHA Quarterfinals in conference history 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University advances to their first-ever NEWHA Tournament Semifinals to take on top-seeded LIU on Wednesday, March 5th at the Northwell Health Ice Center at a time to be determined. This season, the Eagles were 1-2-1 against the Sharks, going to an overtime and shootout once each with them while losing in regulation after that and then winning the final regular season matchup against them, their first win against LIU in program history, at home on February 14th, 3-2.