RUTLAND, Vt. – Sophomore Nicole Giannino (Bay Shore, N.Y.) scored her team-high third game-winning goal of the season as the Holy Cross women's ice hockey team won the Rutland Herald Invitational over host Castleton State on Saturday afternoon by a score of 4-3. The Crusaders improve to 9-4-1 on the season while the Spartans are now 7-5-1.
Senior Caroline English (Dorchester, Mass.) gave the Crusaders the lead late in the first period with her third goal of the season and now has a team-high 14 points this year. Sophomore Rebecca Fleming (Newton, Mass.) and freshman Kati Goguen (Acton, Mass.) added assists on the play. Castleton State responded just 11 seconds later with 2:13 remaining in the period as Rachel Bombardier beat Crusader goaltender Krista Manzanares (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and the teams went into the locker rooms with the score knotted, 1-1.
Holy Cross took a 2-1 advantage just over two minutes into the second stanza as sophomore Kate Reilly (Natick, Mass.) netted her first career goal with help from fellow classmates Jessica Frascotti (Needham, Mass.) and Chelsea Monahan (Cherry Hill, N.J.). The Spartans were able to tie the game once again with 6:22 remaining in the frame as Samantha Pion scored her first goal of the season and the third period began with the score locked at 2-2.
Castleton State took its first lead of the game 8:09 into the third as Jade Werger scored to make the score 3-2. The Crusaders answered just 1:02 later as senior Rebecca O'Quinn (Arlington, Mass.) beat Spartan goaltender Paula Stephens with assists from sophomore Francesca Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Goguen. Giannino then tallied the game-winner with just 4:52 remaining as Goguen recorded her third assist of the game and O'Quinn also added a helper to lift Holy Cross to the 4-3 victory.
Manzanares made 25 saves in the game and improves to 6-2-0 on the season. Stephens stopped 30 shots and is now 6-4-1 on the year. Holy Cross outshot the Spartans 34-28.
The Crusaders will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 15, visiting Colby at 7:00 p.m.
All-Tournament Team
Paula Stephens - Castleton, G
Dani Roberts - Castleton, D
Francesca Panarelli - Holy Cross, D
Caroline English - Holy Cross, F
Rebecca Fleming - Holy Cross, F
Anne Gomolinski - Sacred Heart, F
Tournament MVP
Krista Manzanares - Holy Cross, G
