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Pointers Hang on
to Beat Lake Forest in Semifinals
Box Score
When the Lake Forest women�s hockey team visits
Ice Hawks Arena in Stevens Point, the game truly isn�t over until the final
buzzer sounds.
After tying UW-Stevens Point on a last-second goal
in the regular season, the Foresters nearly did it again, but this time the
Pointers were able to hang on for a 2-1 victory in Friday�s Northern
Collegiate Hockey Association semifinals.
The win put the two-time defending playoff
champion Pointers in the conference finals for the fifth straight year.
UW-Stevens Point will face either UW-Superior or UW-River Falls in the
finals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Lake Forest will play for consolation on
Saturday at 4 p.m. at Willett Arena.
UW-Stevens Point dominated the first two periods,
but managed just two goals against Foresters� goalie Sally Bevis despite 37
shots on goal. The ice tilted in the third period as Lake Forest pulled
within a goal and then put on a flurry in the final minutes and pulled the
goalie for over a minute. The Foresters nearly scored with 4.7 seconds left,
but a crowd in front of net knocked down Pointers� goalie Amy Statz and
pushed the net off. In the first meeting between the teams this year, Lake
Forest scored moments before the final horn sounded to force a 2-2 tie.
�We�re just happy to be playing in the
championship game,� said Pointers� coach Brian Idalski. �This was just what
you would expect in a high-intensity postseason game.�
The Pointers jumped out quick with two first
period goals as UW-Stevens Point outshot the Foresters 19-1 and had all four
power plays. Michelle Sosnowski scored a breakaway goal at the 14:04 mark
and then just over three minutes later, Tracy Truckey put in a rebound off a
shot from the point by Chris Hanson. Jamie Lewandowski also assisted on the
goal, which came on a five-on-three power play.
UW-Stevens Point fired 18 more shots in the second
period, but the Foresters picked up a huge momentum swing late in the period
when they killed off a one minute, 33-second five-on-three power play.
Lake Forest got on the scoreboard at the 6:22 mark
of the third period when Laura Wilson dished to Katie Snowden for a goal.
The goal snapped the Pointers� defensive streak of 11 straight scoreless
periods. Amy Statz stopped 10 shots in the final period to preserve the
victory.
UW-Stevens Point finished with a 40-21 advantage
in shots and extended its unbeaten streak to 13 straight games. The Pointers
have not allowed more than one goal in any of the 13 games. |
