The women’s ice hockey team (6-16-1, 4-12-0 ECAC) fell to the St. Lawrence Saints (12-16-3, 6-8-3 ECAC) Saturday afternoon by a score of 6-1. The loss was the team’s second in as many days after they fell to Clarkson University (21-7-2, 10-5-1 ECAC) 3-1 the night before.
The matchup was the second of the season between the Bears and the Saints. After Bruno’s 5-0 loss when the two teams faced off Jan. 6, Head Coach Melanie Ruzzi said she knew St. Lawrence posed a formidable opponent.
“I definitely don't think their record indicates the strength of their team,” Ruzzi said. “But really at the end of the day, it's about us. We unfortunately have had so many injuries … we’re very short-staffed right now.” She added that she did not believe the home crowd got to see the team at their best on Saturday.
Neither team could gain an advantage through the first few minutes of play. But midway through the first period, Bears forward Jade Iginla ’26 was charged with a hooking penalty, giving the Saints a chance to score during the two-minute power play. Bruno successfully fended off the attacking Saints, blocking all three of their shot attempts to keep the game scoreless.
With 4:11 remaining in the first period, St. Lawrence took a 1-0 lead courtesy of a goal from forward Shailynn Snow, who shot the puck between the leg pads of Bears goalie Kaley Doyle ’24. St. Lawrence defended against a last-minute attack by Bruno at the end of the first period during a power play, with Iginla firing a shot that deflected off the leg pads of St. Lawrence goalie Lucy Morgan. India McDadi ’26 recovered the puck and shot it, but Morgan saved it again to keep the Bears off the board as the period came to a close.
St. Lawrence carried their momentum into the second period, defending against another Brown power play and taking a 2-0 lead when forward Kennedy Wilson tapped the puck into the goal. But the Bears finally capitalized off their third power play of the day when team captain Sonja Bjornson ’24 scored the first goal of her 81-game career.
“Our forwards were doing a good job screening in front,” Bjornson said. “I was able to walk and get closer, and I think that's why we had success — I think the goalie didn't see it at all.”
Ruzzi praised Bjornson, who typically plays defense but has played forward in recent games, for her versatility as the team deals with multiple injuries.
Bjornson “playing in a very different position this late in the season after playing (defense) all year just shows she’s a smart player,” Ruzzi said. “She understands her role (and) her job and that gives us a lot of flexibility.”
St. Lawrence quickly responded to Bjornson’s score with a goal from forward Abby Hustler, who redirected a Saints shot attempt and snuck it past Doyle’s left side as she was moving right to block the puck.
The game ultimately unraveled for the Bears when St. Lawrence tacked on two more goals within 13 seconds at the end of the second period to take a 5-1 lead. St. Lawrence scored their sixth and final goal of the afternoon at the start of the third period en route to a 6-1 victory.
“I think (the end of the second period) was a breakdown,” Ruzzi said. “The effort is always there, but I felt like a short bench two nights in a row got to us finally.”
Despite the defeat, Bjornson emphasized positive elements of the team’s play. “I think our forecheck was good,” she said. “When we got in on their (defense), we were definitely creating some offense (and) throwing pucks on net.”
Team captain and forward Madie Stockfish ’23 said the team was disappointed with the result and has higher expectations for themselves.
“We know that we can and should expect more from ourselves, and we just want to do better, especially in front of our fans,” she said. “The regular season is coming to an end, so we feel the pressure and we're ready to execute.”
The Bears will look to bounce back on the road against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday at 6 p.m.
