Kristen Guerriero scored the fastest first goal of the season in St. Lawrence's NCAA Division I women's hockey history to tie the game 1-1 just 47 seconds into Wednesday's non-league game at Clarkson, but the No. 9/10 Golden Knights came back with seven unanswered goals to overpower the Saints 8-1 in the Scarlet and Brown's season opener at Cheel Arena.

The game was the first of the season for the Saints, who started practicing together just over a week ago after most of the team took the fall semester off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as most student-athletes on the team will be taking courses in the spring and summer terms. It was the ninth game of the year for Clarkson, which improved to 4-4-1.

"After a 320 day layoff, it was great to be back competing," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells '92. "Thanks to both administrations for creating this opportunity to play. We can be encouraged by some of the things we did tonight. We had sustained energy throughout the game and kept working through to the end. Everyone was able to get out and get some quality ice and Clarkson gave us a good idea of what to expect moving forward. We are taking everything day-by-day and the team is ready to get at it tomorrow."



Clarkson's Caitrin Lonergan opened the scoring 13 seconds into the game, firing the puck hard off the end boards then picking up the rebound on the other side of the net and firing it into the open cage.

Guerriero tied the score on a blast from the point through a screen past Clarkson goaltender Michelle Pasiechnyk for the Saints' first goal of the season just 34 seconds later. Shailynn Snow picked up the primary assist on the play, and Rachel Bjorgan earned her first collegiate point with the secondary assist.

The goal was a full minute faster than the previous record for fastest goal to start a season for the Saints. Brooke Webster '17 scored at the 1:57 mark in a 5-3 win over Clarkson on October 3, 2014.

Clarkson pulled ahead for good, however, less than three minutes later, as Avery Mitchell sent a hard low wrist shot from the point through a screen into the net.

The Golden Knights extended the lead to two goals with a power play tally at the 6:30 mark, as Elizabeth Giguere sent a pass to the left post where Gabrielle David was parked, and David swept it into the net from one knee.

Giguere got a goal of her own late in the first period, picking up a long clear from Tia Stoddard and skating in all alone for a breakaway goal to give Clarkson a 4-1 lead at the first intermission.

Brooke McQuigge scored the first goal of the second period for the Golden Knights, skating from right to left across the front of the Saints net and tucking the puck inside the left post. Emily Oosterveld added a goal on a 2-on-1, and Lonergan scored her second goal of the game — this time on the power play — in the final minute of the period to give Clarkson a 7-1 lead through two periods.

Stephanie Markowski scored the Golden Knights' third power play goal of the game five minutes into the third period, sending a hard wrister from the high slot through a screen and into the back of the net.

Lonergan scored two goals and added an assist in the game for Clarkson, while Giguere had a goal and three assists and McQuigge had one goal and two assists.

Clarkson was 3-for-4 on the power play, while the Saints were 1-for-4. The Golden Knights held a 44-28 edge in shots on goal.

Jaimie Rainville started the game for the Saints, making 12 saves in the first period. Caitlin Whitehead stopped nine shots in the second, and Lucy Morgan made 15 saves in the third.

Michelle Pasichnyk and Amanda Zeglen both played roughly half of the game for the Golden Knights; Pasiechnyk made 16 saves and Zeglen made 11.

The Saints open the ECAC Hockey season this weekend with a home-and-home series with Colgate. St. Lawrence heads to Hamilton for a 5 p.m. opening faceoff on Friday, then hosts the Raiders in their home opener at 2 p.m. on Sunday.