Women’s ice hockey falls to Rivier University

By Izabela Gage Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams were overcome by the Rivier University Raiders 5-2 in a conference matchup Jan. 31. This loss brings their conference record to 2-6 and their overall record to 2-14-1. Sophomore goaltender Lila Chamoun made the first save of the game only 38 seconds in. The Rams didn’t let the Raiders hold possession of the puck for long, as freshman Alexis Brown attempted to net the puck less than a minute later, but it was saved by Rivier’s goaltender, Taylor Bruno. The Rams were aggressive following three shots by the Raiders, with freshmen Molly Murphy, Kristina Jones, and Katie Creath trying to find the back of the net, but they could not break the Raiders’ defense. Freshman Rylee Bogren was consistent in front of the net with four back-to-back shots in just 23 seconds, all of which were saved by Bruno. Rivier took control offensively with three shots before pushing past Chamoun’s pads with a rebound shot to score the first goal of the game. Framingham didn’t let this faze them, though, as sophomore Finley Hogan took a shot on goal 16 seconds later that was wide. Brown and Creath were also determined to find a gap in Bruno’s defense, but both shots were unsuccessful. The Raiders answered with three shots of their own, but Chamoun held strong in net. Freshman Sophie Brien, sophomore Sarah Lewis, and Murphy each tried to break through Bruno’s wall of defense, but were unable to tie the score. The Raiders’ offense tallied five shots on goal in the next minute, but Chamoun saved two, while sophomore Lily Wilson and Creath each blocked one, and the last deflected off the pipe. The period ended with two more shots on goal by the Rams, but both were stopped by Rivier’s defense. Less than 30 seconds into the second period, Lewis broke the stalemate and tied the score 1-1. The Rams received a minor penalty, and the Raiders took five shots on goal before breaking through Chamoun’s defense to take the lead 2-1. Both teams worked to find the back of the net, with Framingham taking five shots on goal and Rivier taking 12, none of which could make it past the goal line. Murphy then tied the score at the 15-minute mark. The remainder of the second period was scoreless for the Rams and the Raiders, with the teams tallying four and six shots, respectively. Rivier reclaimed the lead 3-2 only 34 seconds into the third period. The Rams could only manage one shot on goal before the Raiders found the back of the net once again. Framingham subbed in sophomore goaltender Brigid Milligan, who stopped Rivier’s next shot less than 2 minutes later. The Raiders, unfortunately, broke through Milligan’s defense, scoring their last goal of the game to bring the score to 5-2. For the remainder of the period, both teams fought for possession of the puck, tallying 16 shots each, none of which could make it past the goal line, and the game ended in favor of Rivier 5-2. Lewis said, “We knew they were going to be a strong team, but that if we battled hard, we could play them tight, which we did for the majority of the game.” She said throughout this season, the team has worked on efficient puck movement and prioritizing moving to get open for each other, which has led to more offensive success. She said this hard work “allowed us to create scoring chances and also stop most of Rivier’s chances.” Chamoun saved 36 of the 40 shots she faced, and Milligan saved nine of the 10 she faced. Milligan said, “Lila did the majority of the heavy lifting against them. She is amazing when it comes to staying focused in net. “Communication with our defense is crucial to doing well in the net. Lila and I hold each other accountable and just focus on the present rather than dwelling on the past or the future,” she added. The Rams travel to Worcester State to face the Lancers in another conference matchup Feb. 6. Milligan said the freshmen have been a “wonderful addition to the team.” She added, “We all know there’s a job to get done, and it takes all of us. Accountability is a big part of our team, and we are just focused on building a team culture where you won’t be afraid to make a mistake, and if you do, you have 22 other girls in your corner supporting you and helping you learn and grow.” ¶