MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Junior Erin Dillon (Hazlet, N.J.) recorded her first career hat trick and senior Courtney Peyko (Grand Isle, Vt.) picked up her first collegiate win between the pipes in helping to lead the Connecticut College women's ice hockey team to an 8-2 rout of Salve Regina at St. George's Ice Arena on Tuesday evening.

Salve Regina (1-7) netted the first goal of the game just 3:15 into the contest, but the Camels responded by getting back-to-back goals from senior Lauren Helm (Frisco, Texas). The forward first finished a give-and-go play with Dillon at 8:49 before stealing the puck away from the defense on a forecheck less than four minutes later. The visitors carried a 2-1 advantage into the first intermission.

Despite surrendering the first goal of the second period as well on a five-hole strike by Grace Schwartz in transition, Connecticut College regrouped and stormed ahead by scoring four unanswered goals in a span of just 4:05. Beginning with a faceoff won by senior Sammi Estes (Millis, Mass.), freshman Caroline O'Keefe (Winthrop, Mass.) was able to spark the offensive explosion by backhanding home a rebound following an initial shot taken from the right point by senior captain Ellie Branka (Medfield, Mass.). Sophomore Catherine Lawrence (Guilford, Conn.) was also credited with an assist on the play.

Following O'Keefe's marker at 8:20, the Camels doubled their lead just over a minute later when Dillon scored from the right corner through traffic. Senior Kylie Wilkes (Howell, N.J.) and Dillon then added insurance tallies just 10 seconds apart, as Wilkes stole the puck away on a forecheck and Dillon went coast to coast to give the Camels a commanding 6-2 lead with more than seven minutes still remaining in the second period.

Dillon completed a hat trick in the opening minutes of the third, and sophomore Natalie Witkowski (Cheshire, Conn.) capped the scoring with 8:35 left by netting her first goal of the season.

Peyko, who was named an all-region selection as a field hockey defender earlier today, picked up her first collegiate win between the pipes on the ice by making four saves during the first two periods for Connecticut College, which had a 36-11 advantage in total shots. Salve Regina's Madison Jalbert suffered the loss for surrendering six goals in 32 minutes of action despite turning away 18 shots.

Connecticut College (4-3), which has won four straight games and lit the lamp 18 times during the hot stretch, will return home to host William Smith for a two-game series this weekend. The teams will first face off against each other on Friday evening at 7 p.m.