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Hanson Helps
Pointers Take NCHA Playoff Title
Box Score
Chris Hanson was just waiting for the perfect
time.
At least that�s what the UW-Stevens Point junior
defender would like everyone to believe after scoring her first goal of the
season to break a third period tie and lift the Pointers to their third
straight Northern Collegiate Hockey Association women�s hockey playoff title
with a 4-2 win Saturday over UW-Superior at Ice Hawks Arena.
Hanson was the only remaining player among the
Pointers� 15 skaters who hadn�t scored a goal this season, but she broke her
abstention in a big way on Saturday night. The win helps bolster the
Pointers NCAA Division III tournament chances as they ran their unbeaten
streak to a national-best 14 straight games and improved to 19-4-4 overall.
One at-large bid will be awarded to an NCHA team
to the seven-team NCAA field and the regular season and playoff champion
Pointers went 3-0-1 in head-to-head meetings with UW-Superior this season.
The Yellowjackets, who have suffered all three of their losses to UW-Stevens
Point, are now 22-3-2 overall. UW-Superior had the second-longest unbeaten
streak in the country at 12 games prior to the loss. The team that is not
selected for the NCAA field is eligible for one of two additional at-large
berths to the tournament.
UW-Stevens Point never trailed in the game,
scoring five minutes into the game when Madison Darud poked in a loose puck
off an initial shot by Jenna Daggit. UW-Superior countered late in the
second period when Erin Kegley scored her 23rd goal of the season to tie the
game at 1-1.
The Pointers answered less than two minutes later
when Michelle Sosnowski scored unassisted on a power play to give her team a
2-1 lead that held after two periods.
UW-Superior tied the game five minutes into the
third period with nifty passing from Ashley Jenkins and Alicia Cowieson that
led to a shot from Jamie McClintock for a 2-2 deadlock. However, the
Pointers again had a quick answer when Hanson delivered a shot from the left
wing that deflected off the skate of a Yellowjackets� defender for the
go-ahead score.
Darud added an insurance goal for the Pointers
with 7:06 left when Jackie Drews found her with a pass from behind the net
for a 4-2 advantage. UW-Stevens Point�s defense took over from that point,
giving the Yellowjackets no scoring opportunities in the final minutes of
the game to seal the victory. UW-Stevens Point has now won four of the six
all-time playoff titles, having also won in 2002 in addition to its three
straight crowns.
Amy Statz made 12 saves for the Pointers, who
limited the Yellowjackets to only 14 shots on goal. UW-Stevens Point,
meanwhile, had a balanced nine shots in each period and handed UW-Superior
goalie Kristy Faechner her first loss in 14 decisions this year.
Bids and pairings for the NCAA tournament will be
announced on Sunday night. |
