The Gustavus women’s hockey team used a well-balanced attack of a pressure offense and stout defense to claim a 7-0 shutout over St. Catherine University in Burnsville, Minn. Friday night. The No. 5 Gusties improve to 12-0-1 on the year and 7-0-0 in the MIAC as the only remaining undefeated team in all of Division III, while the Wildcats fall to 7-4-2 overall and 3-2-2 in league play.
First-year forward Carolyn Draayer led the way for the Gustie women with her fourth multi-goal performance on the year, scoring two goals. The Deephaven, Minn. native is tied for the team lead in goals with 14 on the season.
Draayer got the party started 9:47 into the game with what proved to be the game-winner on an assist from Jenna Christensen. Fellow rookie Kelly Thotland went in for an unassisted goal five minutes later and Draayer put the Gusties up 3-0 – assisted by Jess Harren – with her second goal on the night with 2:06 left on the clock.
After nearly 20 minutes of scoreless action in the second, Mollie Carroll and Amanda Cartony found Allie Schwab with just :05 left in the period to put the Three Crowns up 4-0 at the second intermission. Schwab leads the team with Draayer in the goal scoring department with 14 goals in 13 games this season.
It was Schwab returning the favor along with Cartony at the 2:47 mark in the third as Carroll tallied her ninth goal of the year. After back-to-back assists, Cartony found the back of the net at the 6:18 mark with the help the unrelated Olson twins – Beth Olson and Gracie Olson. Meagan Wanecke put an end to night by putting the Gusties up 7-0 at the 7:10 mark on an assist from Courtney Boucher.
Usually, a penalty with the game already in hand doesn’t seem significant for either team, but when Lindsey Hjelm was flagged for tripping at the 12:00 mark she became the all-time penalty queen for the Gustavus women’s hockey program. Hjelm broke the program record for career penalties (72) and penalty minutes (144) with the tripping call, surpassing Laura Stypulkowski (2001-05) for both marks. The junior defender now has a team-leading 16 penalties for 32 minutes this year.
Danielle Justice tallied her seventh win after stopping 14 shots in 48:37 of work to improve to 7-0-1. Marah Sobczak defended the Gustie goal for the final 11:23 and made three stops. On the other end of the ice, Wildcats netminder Samantha Geissler defended 24 shots and allowed seven goals before being pulled for Haley Morningstar with 12:50 left in regulation.
Neither team was able to convert on the power play as the Gusties went 0-for-3 and St. Kate’s 0-for-4. Gustavus outshot the Wildcats 33-to-17.
The two teams will travel to St. Peter, Minn. Saturday afternoon for the second game of the regular season series. The puck is set to drop at 2:00 p.m. at Don Roberts Ice Rink.