RUTLAND, Vt. – Anna Daniels delivered two goals and one assist, as the Spartans captured a 4-1 victory over the New England College (NEC) Pilgrims at Spartan Arena on Saturday afternoon in the team's season finale.

The hosts dominated the contest, outshooting the opposition by 37 and killing off all five of its penalties. With the victory, the Spartans finish the regular season at 12-11-2 overall and clinch the No. 4 seed in the upcoming ECAC East Tournament. Castleton will now host Southern Maine at 4 pm on Saturday.

The Pilgrims, meanwhile, suffer their 16th consecutive loss as they end the year with a 1-23-1 (1-15-1 ECAC East) record. 

Castleton had arguably its best chance of the opening frame with just over five minutes remaining when Tori Pizzuto intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and was left all alone with the goalie. After skating towards the crease, the senior forward deked NEC's Lauren Hopps and fired a shot on target, but Hopps, somehow, managed to recover and make one of her 20 first period saves to keep the score even.

At the 3:45 mark in the second stanza, Daniels handed the Spartans a 1-0 lead after netting her first goal of the contest. With a two-on-one break, the junior forward received the puck on the wing and skated towards the near post before slipping a shot just under Hopps' pads and into the back of the net to give the hosts a one-goal advantage. 

She struck again with just 5:46 remaining in the frame to double the hosts' lead. Similar to the opening goal, with a two-on-one opportunity, Hannah Rose provided the service, as Daniels' slotted home her team-leading 11th score of the year to make it 2-0 in favor of Castleton. 

Less than three minutes later, Pizzuto grabbed her fourth goal in as many games to push the Pilgrims' deficit to three. At the 17:03 mark, Hannah Wright took a shot from the near point that went wide, but Pizzuto was able to gather the loose puck and finish a shot just inside the far post to give the Spartans a three-goal cushion.

NEC responded just 22 seconds later after Amanda McGoldrick's team-leading seventh goal of the year. Rachel Vigiliano was credited with an assist on the play, as McGoldrick's rebound attempt beat Castleton's Jess Cameron to reduce the Spartans' lead back to two.

With 2:09 remaining in regulation, Brianna Keats' finished a shot just over the shoulder of Hopps to record her seventh goal of the year and secure Castleton a 4-1 victory over the Pilgrims at Spartan Arena on Senior Day.

In net, Cameron turned in a solid display by stopping 20 of the 21 shots that she faced to earn her fifth win of the year. Her counterpart, Hopps, was just as good, producing a 54-save performance, as she finished the season with a 1-16-1 record. 

Castleton will host an ECAC East Quarterfinals contest next Saturday with the opponent and game time to be determined at a later date.