MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's ice hockey team received goals from five different players en route to a 5-2 victory over Nichols College during an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's East contest at St. George's Ice Rink on Friday night. It was the seventh straight win over Nichols for the Seahawks who now improve to 2-2 (2-2 ECAC) on the year, while the Bison fall to 1-2-1 overall and 0-2-1 during conference play.

Junior Sarah McCusker (Havertown, Pa.) compiled a team-high two points on a pair of helpers, including an assist on the game-winning goal for the Seahawks.  Salve Regina also received one goal each from sophomore Natalia Madryga (Burnsville, Minn.), freshman Taylor Shepherd (Quincy, Mass.), junior Kelsey Talty (Fairport, N.Y.), sophomore Molly Houston (Hampton, N.H.), and sophomore Shannon Coleman (Chicago, Ill.), while junior Rachel Porter (Franklin, Mass.) and freshman Michaela Chiuccariello (Winchester, Mass.) each contributed one assist. Senior Rebecca Simmons (Averill Park, N.Y.) stopped 28-of-30 shots to earn the victory in net for the Seahawks, improving to 2-1 on the young season.

The Bison were led by freshman Talia Hohmann (Marina, Calif.) who had a team-high two points, collecting both a goal and an assist in the loss. Freshman Alyssa Bufis (Linden, N.J.) also scored for Nichols, while freshman Grace Murphy (Montclair, Va.) added an assist for the visitors. Sophomore Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, Mass.) was busy in net for the Bison, making a game-high 48 saves on the night.

The Seahawks wasted little time getting on the board, as Madryga collected a rebound off a shot by Porter and found the back of the net for the game's first goal just 3:42 into the opening period.

Salve Regina expanded their lead to 2-0 when McCusker delivered a beautiful pass from the right dot to set up Houston in front of the net for a pretty goal at the 16:40 mark of the first period.

The Seahawks' lead stretched to 3-0 late in the second period when Coleman scored a power play goal off assists from both Chiuccariello and McCusker. It was the first power play goal the Bison had surrendered on the season, and turned out to be the game-winning score.

The Bison answered less than a minute later when Murphy fed Hohmann to cut the Salve Regina lead down to 3-1.

Early in the third period, the Seahawks got some breathing room as Taylor Shepherd stole the puck and followed her own shot to slap the ensuing rebound past the NC goalkeeper, giving SRU a 4-1 advantage.

Nichols refused to go away and closed the gap to 4-2 when Hohmann raced down an errant shot by Bufis and then gave it right back to her for the goal.

However, the Seahawks sealed the 5-2 victory when Talty stole the puck and broke away for a one-on-one with Palazzo. The NC goalkeeper was able to save Talty's initial shot, but the junior forward gathered the rebound and knocked it home for the game's final score.

Both teams return to the ice this Saturday, as the Bison travel to face Holy Cross at 3 p.m., while the Seahawks will battle Manhattanville at 3 p.m. in their first road game of the season.