KEENE, N.H. – The Union College women's hockey team scored two goals in the second period and sophomore
Emma Rhéaume made the lead stand up with a 24-save shutout to lead the Garnet Chargers to a 2-0 victory and a weekend sweep of Franklin Pierce on Saturday afternoon at Keene ICE.
Rhéaume had an excellent afternoon in earning her first shutout of the season and fourth of her career, making 11 saves over the first two periods and then stopping all 13 shots she faced in the third to complete the clean sheet. At the other end, first-year
Madi Gaines scored her first collegiate goal for the eventual game-winner and sophomore
Megan Duplantie added an insurance tally on the power play.
Union (2-0-0) sent 16 shots toward the net of Rylee Eno in the opening period, but 10 saves and five blocks helped the game stay scoreless. The visitors needed only 100 seconds to take the lead in the second stanza, when Gaines one-timed the rebound of a shot by junior
Peyton O'Neill past Eno for her first collegiate goal.
The Garnet Chargers continued to succeed on the power play later in the period, taking 10 shots in less than 90 seconds before Duplantie scored from the left faceoff dot for her first of the year. Union finished the day 1-for-3 on the player advantage while holding Franklin Pierce (0-2-0) scoreless on five player-up chances.
The Ravens outshot the Garnet Chargers 13-7 in the third period, but Rhéaume was up to the task to finish off the shutout victory. Union finished the afternoon with a 31-24 edge in shots.
Union will return to action next weekend with a two-game series at Merrimack College, beginning on Friday at 4 p.m. in North Andover, Mass.
