Athletics

Women’s Hockey Plays #7 UW-Stevens Point to 2-2 Tie

The Gustavus women’s hockey team picked up a game-tying goal off the stick of Stefanie Ubl with 9:15 remaining in the third period and held on for a 2-2 overtime tie against seventh-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday in St. Peter. The third-ranked Gusties move to 8-1-1 on the season, while the Pointers move to 5-2-3.

—

by

timgasid
Andrea Peterson fires a shot toward the net.
Andrea Peterson fires a shot toward the net.

Sophomore Margaret Dorer plays the puck along the boards.
Sophomore Margaret Dorer plays the puck along the boards.

Sophomore Molly Doyle executes the most exciting play in hockey - the penalty shot.
Sophomore Molly Doyle executes the most exciting play in hockey – the penalty shot.

First-year Christine Wicker fights through the stick of Stevens Point’s Rachael Graves
First-year Christine Wicker fights through the stick of Stevens Point’s Rachael Graves

The Gustavus women’s hockey team picked up a game-tying goal off the stick of Stefanie Ubl (So., Blaine, Minn.) with 9:15 remaining in the third period and held on for a 2-2 overtime tie against seventh-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday in St. Peter.

Third-rated Gustavus found the net just 2:31 into the contest as sophomore forward Laura Vannelli (Eagan, Minn.) put a puck past UW-Stevens Point goalie Amy Statz. Senior Abby Randall (Tonka Bay, Minn.) and junior Kelly Crandall (Plymouth, Minn.) were credited with assists on the play.

UW-Stevens Point knotted the score at 1-1 five minutes later when senior Tracy Truckey beat Gustavus goalie Kitty Hurley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) with the shot. A second goal by Truckey with 6:46 to go in the period gave the Pointers a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

The teams held each other scoreless in the second period, but not without some effort. The Pointers fought off a 5-on-3 situation late in the period. A scuffle in front of Statz while the Gusties had the two-skater advantage also set Gustavus up with a penalty shot inside the period’s final minute of play. The Gusties failed to capitalize on either opportunity. Sophomore Molly Doyle (Eagan, Minn.) took the penalty shot, but was turned away at the net by Statz.

Both teams played the final period of regulation at a frantic pace. A tripping penalty with just over six minutes remaining gave Gustavus another opportunity with the extra skater, which the Gusties promptly converted. Just 17 seconds into the power play, Ubl sent a shot over the right shoulder of Statz for the equalizer. Junior Andrea Peterson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Crandall were given assists on the goal.

The Gustie special teams were tested later in the period, but were able to kill off a slashing penalty within the last five minutes of regulation to force overtime.

In the overtime, the Gusties controlled play in their end, outshooting the Pointers, 4-0, but could not get another puck past Statz.

Hurley picked up 14 saves to move her record to 4-1-1 on the season. Statz stopped 34 shots to moved to 5-2-3 on the year.

The Gusties held a large advantage in faceoffs, winning 45 of 68 opportunities.

Andrea Peterson continues to inch closer to Gustavus assistant coach Sarah Moe, who currently sits in third place on the Gustavus career assists list with 64 assists. Peterson picked up career assist number 62 in the third period. Kelly Crandall is now tied for eighth place on the same list with 44 career assists, while Abby Randall is tied for 11th with 41 helpers.

The Gusties move to 8-1-1 on the season, while the Pointers move to 5-2-3. Gustavus returns to action the weekend of January 13-14 when they face Bethel in a MIAC home-and-home series.