DULUTH, Minn. (Blugolds.com) – With the score tied at three early in the third period, the UW-Eau Claire women's hockey team gave up three goals midway through the final period and lost to the College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) 6-3 at Mars Lakeview Arena tonight.
Eau Claire struck first with a goal from Nikki Kothenbeutel (Jr.-Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) at 6:15 in the first period, but two minutes later, the Saints tied it up with a goal of their own. They took the lead less than 20 seconds later with another goal and never trailed the rest of the night.
St. Scholastica got another goal to push its lead to two (3-1) at 9:50 in the second period but Blugold Hadley Cookson (Fr.-Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) answered less than four minutes later to get the Blugolds within one.
The Blugolds got a spark from Cookson in the third period as she scored at 2:43 to tie the game 3-3. But between a stretch that lasted less than three minutes midway through the third, St. Scholastica scored three unanswered goals, handing the Blugolds their fifth straight loss.
In goal, Paige Turner (Fr.-Iron River, Wis./Duluth East) played 52:16 and gave up all six goals while stopping 35 shots. Mara Stormer (Sr.-Waunakee, Wis.) came in for the final 7:39 and made one save. St. Scholastica outshot the Blugolds 42-13 on the night.
The Blugolds drop to 6-11-3 on the season and 5-8-2 in NCHA play. St. Scholastica improves to 10-7-3 overall and 7-6-2 in the conference.
Saturday, the Blugolds and Saints will compete again with the puck set to drop at 2 p.m. at Mars Lakeview Arena.
-KM-
