Erica Power fights off a defender in the Gusties' 3-2 loss to No. 5 Middlebury (photo courtesy of Gabriel Dickens, Plattsburgh Sports Information).
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Less than 24 hours after making a three-goal comeback against the nation’s top ranked team, the Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey team fell just short of redemption on Sunday afternoon when they fell to No. 5 Middlebury College 3-2 in overtime at Stafford Ice Arena. The loss is the first of the season for the Gusties and brings their record to 5-1-1, while the Panthers move to 4-2-0.
Unlike its first round game of the tournament against Plattsburgh, Gustavus was able to get on the board first in its game with Middlebury, when first-year Kaitlyn Klein (Plymouth, Minn.) scored her third goal of the season off assists from Emily Gustafson (So., Esko, Minn.) and Callie Johnson (So., Detroit Lakes, Minn.) at the 3:09 mark in the first period. The assists were Gustafson and Johnson’s first points of the season.
Middlebury answered when Jane Freda scored an unassisted goal at 8:40 in the second period to even the score at 1-1, which is where it would stay until the third period.
2:40 into the third period, the Panthers took their first lead of the game when Jessica Young put one through the pipes off assists from teammates Emily Fluke and Janka Hlinka. However, Gustavus would come back with the equalizer in the final minutes for the second game in a row when Lydia Wagner (So., Zumbrota, Minn.) tallied her second goal of the season off an assist from Courtney Boucher (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) at the 19:21 mark to even the game at 2-2. Neither team would score for the remainder of regulation and the game went to overtime.
Just 1:09 into the overtime period, Middlebury secured itself a victory when Maddie Winslow scored her second goal of the season off assists from Elizabeth Wulf and Julia Wardwell. The overtime loss is the first for Gustavus since March 17, 2012 when it fell to Plattsburgh in the NCAA Third Place game 4-3.
Gustavus outshot Middlebury 38-28 on the afternoon. Neither team was able to take advantage of power play opportunities, with the Gusties going 0-for-2 and the Panthers going 0-for-3.
In net, Lindsey Hibbard (Jr., Princeton, Minn.) suffered her first loss of the season for Gustavus after allowing three goals and registering 25 saves.
Gustavus will be back on the ice on Friday and Saturday when it will take on St. Olaf College in a home-home series. Friday, the Gusties will travel to Northfield, Minn. for a 7:30 p.m. game at Northfield Ice Arena. Saturday, Gustavus will return home and take on the Oles in a 2 p.m. game at Don Roberts Ice Rink.