Sault College’s women’s hockey team opened the 2023 American Collegiate Hockey Association D2 national championship on a strong note on Thursday afternoon.
The team jumped out to a 3-0 lead through one period and cruised to a 6-1 win over Rowan University out of New Jersey.
Sault College opened the scoring 3:03 into the contest as Emma Lee broke down the left wing, skated past a Rowan defender and beat goaltender Savannah Thomason high short side from the left faceoff circle.
Just 3:25 later, Alyssa Byers jumped into the play late and grabbed a loose puck in the high slot and beat Thomason high stick side to make it a 2-0 game.
Brooke Brazeau made it a 3-0 game with 1:21 to go in the opening period when she scored in tight on a rebound.
Sault College extended the lead to 4-0 3:15 into the second period as Emily Moore scored on a rebound in close after Thomason stopped Lee initially on a chance at the edge of the crease initially.
Rowan got on the board just under three minutes later as Giovanna Caruso took a pass and beat Sault College goaltender Emily Hansen short side at 6:07.
Shortly after killing off the first penalty in a 5-on-3 for Rowan, Jasmine Groleau outraced a Rowan player to the puck and beat Thomason with a backhand glove side on a shorthanded breakaway to make it a 5-1 game at 9:08.
Much like the first two periods, Sault College capitalized early in the third period as Jacinta Eshkakogan grabbed a loose puck in the slot and beat Thomason as she was taking a hit to make it 6-1 just 2:19 into the third period.
Hansen made 25 saves for Sault College while Thomason stopped 20 for Rowan.
Sault College returns to action on Friday against the University of Delaware, the third ranked team in their pool, before wrapping up pool play on Saturday afternoon against Providence College in a battle of the top two seeds in the pool.