NASHUA, N.H. - The New England College women's ice hockey team was dealt a non-conference loss at the hands of Rivier University, giving up a pair of third period goals on Thursday night at Conway Arena in Nashua, New Hampshire. 

It was a busy first period for sophomore Kayden Lallier Whissell (Stevensville, Ont.) in net for the Pilgrims who made 21 saves in the opening period. She managed to keep the game scoreless although the Raiders outshot the 'Grims 21-7. NEC killed three Rivier power plays in the period. 

The second period was more balanced than the first on the offensive end, with Rivier holding the narrow 13-12 advantage in shots on goal. NEC managed to kill one more Raider power play as the two teams brought a scoreless 0-0 game into the third period. 

The Raiders scored the first goal of the game 6:26 into the third period to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. NEC had two power plays in the third, while Rivier had one, but both teams kept each other in check on the extra skater opportunities. The Raiders found the back of the net one more time after a scramble in front of the NEC net to take a 2-0 lead with 3:55 left in the game – a score that would remain through the final buzzer. 

Lallier Whissell ended the game with 43 stops and a .956 save percentage – her third game this season with more than 40 saves. Junior Alexis Hornsby (Atkinson, N.H.) went 15-9 on faceoffs along with two blocked shots while sophomore Jamie Blondin (Oakville, Ont.) led the team with three blocks. 

The Pilgrims will return to Little East Conference play following the Thanksgiving break, traveling to UMass-Boston on Friday, December 5th at 6:00 PM for a matchup with the Beacons. 

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