NEWPORT, R.I. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's hockey team shut out Salve Regina University 2-0 on Saturday to split their New England Hockey Conference series. The Spartans get back into the win column and improve to 3-6-1, while the Seahawks drop to 7-3.

Victoria Bakopanos earned the victory with a 35-save shutout for her first shutout of the season. 

The two sides faired evenly in the first period, with SRU winning the shots battle 10-9 but each side stayed scoreless.

After not converting on their first two powerplays, the Spartans capitalized on the next opportunity with Nora Hundsnes Pollestad setting up Mikayla Brightman for her first goal of the season to put the Spartans ahead 1-0. 

Castleton's defensive game made the difference between games one and two. The Spartans faced 11 blocked shots, with Pollestad and Moa Carlsson leading the team with a combined five blocks. The Spartans' penalty kill played terrific, converting 100% on their four sessions on the ice in Saturday's game.

Halfway through the third period, Rachel McNeil found Annika Nelson who beat the goalie and slotted home her fourth goal of the year to extend Castleton's lead to two. 

SRU made a strong effort to get back into the game, including a late powerplay opportunity but Bakopanos and the Spartans' defense didn't let up and kept the Seahawks scoreless to take game two and split the series. 

VTSU Castleton continues their sessions on the road with a trip to Geneva N.Y. to face William Smith College in a two-game series starting Saturday, January 25 at 7 p.m.