Press Release

PURPLE KNIGHTS FALL TO AMHERST, 6-2 Freshmen Gagne and Salois score for winless SMC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       FOR MORE INFORMATION December 3, 2003                                                                      Contact: Seth Cole Courtesy of Amherst Sports Information                                        Phone: (802) 654-2537 AMHERST, Mass. - First-year Rachel Simon's (West Orange, N.J.) hat trick in the first period led a six-goal outburst for the Amherst College women's ice hockey team, which steamrolled visiting non-league foe Saint Michael's College on Wednesday night, 6-2. Amherst senior Ali White (Brookline, Mass.), junior Alicia Pichard (Chevy Chase, Md.) and first-year Emily Cronin (Arlington, Mass.) each joined Simon in the scoring column, while the Jeff defense was stifling, allowing only 14 shots on goal. Pichard wasted no time lighting the lamp as White found her from behind the net just over a minute after the puck dropped. Simon accounted for the next two goals, punching the first in off an Amanda Muller (Princeton, N.J.) assist and finding the net unassisted for her second. Saint Michael's answered at the 7:17 mark as first-year Melissa Gagne (Eliot, Maine) scored off an assist from fellow rookie Kasie Scafariello (Wallingford, Conn.). White struck the next blow for Amherst, tickling the twine on a feed from first-year Alena Harrison (Westwood, Mass.), and Cronin's score came a minute later as sophomore Leah Kaplan (Buffalo, N.Y.) and first-year Meghan Dickoff (Minnetonka, Minn.) found her for the power-play goal. Simon capped the Jeffs' scoring with an unassisted goal to complete her first collegiate hat trick. Saint Michael's first-year Martha Salois (Winthrop, Maine) scored the game's final goal off an assist from junior Kate Talbot (Marblehead, Mass.). Amherst first-year Lindsay Grabowski (Princeton, N.J.) had 12 saves between the pipes as the Jeffs improved to 3-2 with the win. Junior Marcy Ring (North Attleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Annice Mason (Berlin, Vt.) combined for 48 saves for the Purple Knights, who fell to 0-6-1 with the loss. Amherst returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. against visiting NESCAC rival Middlebury College. The Purple Knights hosted Sacred Heart University on Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. and 3:20 p.m., respectively. GAME SUMMARY                                                  1       2       3       Final Amherst College (3-2)                  6       0       0       6 Saint Michael's College (0-6-1)     1       1       0       2 SCORING: A - Alicia Pichard (Ali White) 1:07 - 1st; A - Rachel Simon (Amanda Muller) 1:39 - 1st; A - Rachel Simon (unassisted) 6:41 - 1st; S - Melissa Gagne (Kasie Scafariello) 7:17 - 1st; A - Ali White (Alena Harrison) 9:37 - 1st; A - Emily Cronin (Leah Kaplan, Meghan Dickoff) 10:34 - 1st; A - Rachel Simon (unassisted) 18:16 - 1st; S - Martha Salois (Kate Talbot) 7:43 - 2nd. GOALTENDING: A - Lindsay Grabowski (60:00, 2 GA, 12 saves); S - Marcy Ring (20:00, 6 GA, 13 saves), Annice Mason (40:00, 0 GA, 36 saves) PENALTIES/MINUTES: A - 2/4; S - 4/8 POWER PLAY: A - 1/4; S - 0/2 SHOTS:  A - 54; S - 14 For a complete box score, click here. ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002