Article courtesy of Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s hockey team faced the nation’s toughest schedule – literally – over the weekend and competed well in narrow losses against both the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams in Division III. Senior forward Allison Eder-Zdechlik (Stillwater, Minn.) was certainly up to the challenge, as she continued her scoring streak with a goal in each game against the nation’s best to extend her impressive goal and point streaks. For her performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Eder-Zdechlik Monday with the MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week award.
Eder-Zdechlik has now scored a goal in five-straight games, and recorded at least one point in seven-straight as she lit the lamp against both No. 2 Elmira and No. 1 Plattsburgh State. Saturday, she scored a power-play goal 12:13 into the game to give Gustavus a 1-0 lead over Elmira, but it was all the Gusties could manage in the 2-1 loss. Saturday, she scored in the first period again to tie Plattsburgh State at 1-1 and spark her team to an eventual 3-1 lead, but the nation’s top-ranked team scored four times in the third to beat Gustavus 5-3. This season, Eder-Zdechlik leads the MIAC in points (11) and goals (9) and has a plus-five rating with one hat trick and one game-winner.
The narrow losses to the nation’s top teams dropped Gustavus to 3-3-2 overall this season, and the Gusties are 2-1-1 in conference play, tied for third place with five points. Gustavus is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation by USCHO.com, and is receiving votes in the D3Hockey.com Top 10 poll. Eder-Zdechlik and the Gusties return to MIAC play this weekend with a home-and-home series against Saint Benedict. Friday’s game will be in St. Cloud, Minn., at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday’s 2 p.m. rematch to take place on Gustavus’ home ice in St. Peter, Minn.