NORTHFIELD, MINN. – In its first game since coming back from a Thanksgiving weekend trip to New York, the Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey team defeated St. Olaf College 7-2 on Friday evening at Northfield Ice Arena. With the win, Gustavus moves to 5-0-0 in the MIAC and 6-1-1 overall, while St. Olaf falls to 0-5-0 in the MIAC and 0-8-0 overall.
St. Olaf was able to get on the scoreboard first with a goal just 4:27 into the first period, but the Gusties fired back with five straight goals of their own to grab a 5-1 lead to put them in position for their eventual 7-2 victory.
Down 1-0, the Gusties’ Keri Pickel (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) put her team on the board at the 9:27 mark in the first period with her first goal of the season off assists from Leah Johnson (Sr., Chanhassen, Minn.) and Courtney Boucher (Sr., Hastings, Minn.). Six minutes later, Diana Draayer (Fy., Deephaven, Minn.) would put Gustavus in front for good when she scored her second goal of the year on an unassisted power play attempt at 15:09.
In the second period, Gustavus would get goals from Carolyn Draayer (Sr., Deephaven, Minn.), Boucher and Erica Power (Fy., Lakeville, Minn.) to give the visitors a 5-1 lead. St. Olaf’s Annie Pumper was able to convert on an Ole power play at 13:52 in the second to cut the Gustavus lead to 5-2, but the Gusties tacked on two insurance goals in the third period, one from Emily Reibert (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and the other from Power, to give Gustavus a 7-2 lead that would hold for the remainder of the game.
With her four point night, Power is now the leading point scorer in the MIAC with 13 (5G, 8A). Her first-year counterpart, Diana Draayer, also scored four points on the evening and is tied for fifth in the league with nine points (2G, 7A).
Lindsey Hibbard (Jr., Princeton, Minn.) moved her record to 5-1-1 on the season after she allowed two goals and made 10 saves between the pipes. St. Olaf’s Hailey Sampson and Sam Ubl split time in goal for the Oles, with Sampson allowing five goals and making 16 saves in 30:04 and Ubl allowing two goals and making 13 saves in 29:56.
Gustavus outshot St. Olaf 36-12 and converted on 2-of-3 power play opportunities.
The Gusties and Oles will play game two of their series tomorrow afternoon at Don Roberts Ice Rink in St. Peter. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m.