Posted: Nov 10, 2012
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) — For the second straight night, Adrian College was one goal better than the UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team. After being shutout Friday night, the Blugolds fell 3-2 in the final game of the series to the Bulldogs.
The first period was much like Friday's game, with neither team able to break through. But the second period started to get more interesting.
Just 0:46 into the period, Adrian College got on the board first. The Blugolds weren't able to answer the first goal of the game Friday night, but it didn't take them long to answer in this game.
At 2:23, Casey McMullen (Sr.-Minneapolis, Minn./South) found the back of the net on assists by Nikki Kothenbeutel (Jr.-Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) and Julia Osowski (Fr.-Princeton, Minn./Princeton) to tie the game 1-1.
But at 14:25, the Bulldogs grabbed back the lead on a power-play goal to head to intermission up 2-1.
The Blugolds got a power-play opportunity early in the third period and took advantage. Kothenbeutel scored on a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net. Alyssa Ahlgren (So.-Hayward, Wis./Hayward) and Emily Haluska (Sr.-Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) assisted on the power-play goal.
It looked like Adrian College took the lead back midway through the third period, but the goal was waved off due to a hand-pass in the offensive zone by the Bulldogs.
With the game winding down, Adrian College notched the game-winner at 14:22 of the third period. The Blugolds pulled the goaltender with 0:47 left and once again controlled play in the offensive zone, but they came up short.
Mara Stormer (Sr.-Waunakee, Wis./Waunakee) gave UW-Eau Claire another strong performance in goal as she made her second start of the season. She finished with 25 saves on 28 shots.
The Blugolds were 1-for-3 on the power-play and they also went 1-for-3 on the penalty kill. They now fall to 1-5-0 this season and 1-3-0 in NCHA play. They travel to River Falls Friday night to take on the Falcons in another conference game set to start at 7:05 p.m. They return home Saturday night to take on UW-River Falls at 7 p.m. at Hobbs Ice Center.
-JM-
