Castleton Edges Salem State 3-2

RUTLAND, Vt. – Castleton edeged Salem State 3-2 in a New England Hockey Conferenec (NEHC) matchup Friday evening as Katherine Campoli's third period score proved to be the difference.

It took the Spartans (4-2-0, 2-1-0) just 30 seconds to open up the scoring in the contest. Emily Harris controlled the puck behind Salem State's goal and carried it toward the blue line. The sophomore found Darby Palisi at the left circle who ripped a shot toward net. Palisi's initial shot was saved, but coming in from the right circle for the rebound was Ryanne Mix, who slipped the puck past the Vikings' netminder and in for the score.
 
The score was Mix's second of the season, with Palisi's assist pushing the junior to a conference-best nine helpers on the year.
 
Castleton would get a couple of power play opportunities over the remainder of the period, including a brief 5-on-3, but were unable to capitalize and would enter the first break up one. 
 
The Spartans dominated a relatively quiet second period until Courtney Gauthier doubled Castleton's lead in the final two minutes. Emery Bonner dealt the puck to a streaking Brooke Greenwood, who carried it into the attacking zone and beat a Vikings defender before dishing it off to a waiting Gauthier. The fifth-year senior one-timed the puck to the far post and in, extending the Spartans' lead to two before the final intermission.
 
Gauthier has now scored in two straight contests, and her five goals on the season rank her first on the team and in the conference.

Salem State (0-5-0, 0-5-0 NEHC) would cut the lead in half four minutes into the third period on a power play goal by Makayla McGrath, but Campoli's first career score would put the Spartans right back up by two just three minutes later.
 
Campoli got the puck in front of her own net and dumped it into the Vikings' zone, where Mix was able to chase it down. The senior controlled the puck and sent it back out to the top of the zone to Campoli, who wound up and struck the puck in stride, sneaking it near-side to make it a 3-1 game.  
 
Salem State turned on the pressure with time winding down and cut the lead in half once again with 2:30 left in the period as Alexa Turner found the back of the net, but they would not see the puck again, as Castleton did an excellent job of keeping it in the Vikings' zone over the final two minutes. At the final buzzer, despite a bit of a scare in the final period, the Spartans walked away with the 3-2 win.

Kaia Hollingsworth made 23 saves in the loss while Kirsten Dicicco stopped five shots.  

(Courtesy Castleton Sports Information)