RUTLAND, Vt – The Castleton women's hockey hosted Rivier in their home-opener Saturday night, using a four-goal second period to shutout the Raiders for the second time in as many nights en route to a 7-0 win.
 
The Spartans (2-0) didn't take long to get on the board in this one, with Alexandra Snow opening up the scoring under two minutes into the game. Darby Palisi kept the puck in Rivier's zone and carried it toward the net before laying it off to Courtney Gauthier. The captain then sent the puck out to a waiting Snow, who rifled a shot toward the near post where it trickled in to make it a 1-0 game and hand Snow her first collegiate goal.
 
Castleton kept the pressure on after the opening score, getting seven shots off over the next four minutes before doubling their lead at the 6:21 mark.
 
Alex Johnson got the puck in the corner, and found Julia Carpenter behind the net. The sophomore sent the puck to the front of the net to a cutting Palisi, who beat a Raider defender and slipped the puck past Rivier's goaltender and into the net, extending the Spartans' lead to two.
 
Castleton would get off 14 more shots in the period — more than the Raiders (0-2) would take the entire game — but were unable to build their lead, sending them into the second with a 2-0 lead.
 
The floodgates would open in the second period as the Spartans would tack on four more goals over the next 20 minutes, including a hat trick from Gauthier. The period's first goal came from the captain off a reset. Gauthier won the face-off and passed the puck to Ryanne Mix. The senior combined with Katherine Campoli before sending the puck across the ice to an open Gauthier, who ripped a shot high and into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.
 
Gauthier's next two goals would come just 20 seconds apart from each other. With under six minutes left in the period, the Spartans passed the puck around the Raiders' zone before Campoli found Gauthier in front of net for the quick redirect. The captain would complete her first career hat trick on the ensuing play, this time finishing on a rebound off Campoli's initial shot, extending Castleton's lead to five.
 
The Spartans would score their fourth goal of the period with 30 seconds remaining on a powerplay. Emery Bonner got the puck at the left circle and found Nancy Benedict across the ice. The sophomore sent a hard shot toward the net that snuck past Rivier's goalie to make it a 6-0 game heading into the final period.
 
Castleton would tack on their seventh goal of the game seven minutes into the third. Campoli interrupted a Raiders player, forcing a turnover and putting the puck at Emily Harris' stick. The sophomore worked her way toward the net before slipping a shot in for her first goal of the season.
 
Just like Friday's season-opener, the Spartans controlled this game from start to finish outshooting Rivier 46-8. Kirsten DiCicco got her second start in net and tallied her second shutout, turning away all eight Raider shots.
 
Next up for Castleton is a trip to Ridge, N.H. to take on Franklin Pierce University Friday, Nov. 5. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m., and will serve as the final game the Spartans play before conference play kicks off Nov. 12.