RUTLAND, Vt. – Junior forwards' Kiera Nelligan (Melrose, Mass.) and Kelly McDonald (So. Burlington, Vt.) each scored a goal and dished out two assists a piece to lead Saint Michael's over Castleton, 6-1, in ECAC East action on Friday afternoon at Spartan Arena.

The Purple Knights improve to 3-14-1 overall and 2-8-1 in the ECAC East. The Spartans fall to 5-10-2 overall and 3-7-1 in conference play.

Sophomore goaltender Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn.) was the difference for Saint Michael's turning away 42-out-of-43 shots on net. Stevens first-career collegiate shutout bid was broken up at 16:21 of the third period on the power play by Castleton junior defenseman Meagan Hulbert (Barre, Vt.) as she beat Stevens with a wrist shot under Stevens' right pad.

At 3:10 of the first period on the power play, senior forward Kelly Rose Losi (Milton, Mass.) put Saint Michael's ahead, 1-0, redirecting a puck into the back of the net that was centered from the right corner boards on a feed from teammate Michele Doherty (Chelmsford, Mass.) past Spartans' goaltender Katharyn Dembowski (Elkridge, Md.) for her second goal of the season.

Nelligan gave the Purple Knights a 2-0 lead at 9:28 of the first with a wrist shot sniped through Dembowski's five-hole. McDonald assisted on the score as she won the faceoff in Castleton's defensive zone and slipped the puck to a wide open Nelligan in the slot.

In the second, McDonald ripped a slapshot past Dembowski from the right faceoff circle at 1:35 for a 3-0 advantage and her third marker of the season. Nelligan picked up her team-leading sixth assist on the score.

Sophomore defenseman Allison Graf (Long Lake, Minn.) pushed Saint Michael's lead to 4-0 at 11:38 scoring the Purple Knights second power play goal of the contest with a wrister from the top of the point past backup goaltender Amanda Hoy (Brockport, N.Y.). Junior Madelena Santore (Millington, N.J.) and Nelligan notched assists on Graf's fifth goal of the season.

The Purple Knights scored twice in the third period to secure the win as Emily Paquin (Bowie, Md.) notched her second goal of the season on the power play at 10:16 and senior forward Kaleigh Ferrari (Millbrook, N.Y.) found the back of the net at 19:45 for her first goal of the season beating Hoy with a shot into the lower right corner of the net.

Castleton returns to action tomorrow at home as the Spartans host Norwich University at 7 pm.