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Grossmann's
Shorthander Gives Pointers Third
Box
Score
Nicole Grossmann scored an overtime shorthanded
goal as UW-Stevens Point won the NCAA Division III women�s hockey third
place game for the second straight year with a 4-3 win over Amherst (Mass.)
on Saturday in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
The goal was Grossmann�s school record fifth
shorthanded score of the year and gave the Pointers their fifth 20-win
season in the past six years with a 20-7-2 final record. It also marked the
fourth time UW-Stevens Point has ended the season with a victory in its
seven-year varsity history.
UW-Stevens Point committed a penalty with 1:57
left in the overtime and was able to clear the puck the length of the ice.
As Amherst was attempting to come back the other way, senior defenseman
Chris Hanson picked off a pass and fed Grossmann, who made a backhanded move
around Lady Jeffs� goaltender Krystyn Elek for the winning score with 1:09
left.
The goal came on a three-on-four shorthanded
situation and was the Pointers� third shorthanded score in three NCAA
tournament games and their school-record 10th of the year. The goal was
Grossmann�s first point of the game as the Pointers finished the year 19-0-1
in games in which she scored a point. The game would have been recorded as a
tie and gone to a shootout if the five-minute overtime remained tied.
The win also came in the final career contest for
senior goaltender Amy Statz and Hanson. Statz made her 100th
career start on Saturday and finished her career as the all-time winningest
goalie in Division III history with a 68-19-11 record.
UW-Stevens Point, which beat Gustavus Adolphus 2-0
in last year�s third place game, got off to a quick start with two goals in
the opening four minutes. Rachael Graves scored off an assist from Lauren
Kellin at the 3:31 mark and Michelle Sosnowski followed just 10 seconds
later off a pass from Jamie Lewandowski for the fastest two goals in NCAA
tournament history.
The Pointers led 2-0 after one period and then
killed off nearly a full two minutes of a five-on-three early in the second
period. Shortly after, Amherst�s Megan Quinn scored a fluke shorthanded goal
on a long shot that slipped past Statz, however, the Pointers rallied
quickly with a goal from Madison Darud to regain the two-goal lead.
Sosnowski and Trish Piskula assisted Darud�s goal.
The Lady Jeffs scored with 28 seconds remaining in
the second period on a goal by Tarasai Karega and then tied the game with a
goal from Karaga just 3:05 into the third period. Neither team was able to
mount many scoring chances down the stretch and both goaltenders took care
of all opportunities.
UW-Stevens Point held a 36-27 advantage in shots
as Statz made 24 saves in her final game. Elek had 12 saves, including 15 in
the third period, and allowed just the one goal in overtime. Starter Lindsay
Grabowski had 20 saves for Amherst. |
