Box Score

RIVER FALLS, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – For the second game in a row, the Marian University women's hockey team took an early 1-0 lead, but once again, it wasn't enough to take down the eighth-ranked Falcons of UW-River Falls as the hosts earned a 5-3 win in NCHA play this afternoon, Jan. 28.

Freshman forward Amanda Waigand scored at the 12:15 mark of the first period and the 1-0 Sabre lead held up through the first intermission. It took just 1:32 into the second period before the Falcons knotted the score on Brook Story's goal. UWRF would add two more in the period, taking a 3-1 lead, before the Megan Sesing-Gomoll cut the deficit to 3-2 just shy of the second intermission.

Trailing 5-2, Waigand added her second goal of the game and 13th of the season, at the 11:21 mark. The Sabres scored five goals against the nationally-ranked Falcons, but still came home empty handed.

UW-River Falls improved to 15-3-2 overall, 13-2-1 in the NCHA with the win. Meanwhile, the Sabres fell to 1-16-2 (1-12-2 NCHA) with the loss.

With the score tied 1-1, Alyssa Jackson gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead at the 6:18 mark. It looked as if the Sabres would be able to withstand the onslaught of shots in the second period by giving up just two goals, but UWRF's Katie Batters added her 14th goal of the season with 58 seconds left in the period to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Sesing-Gomoll, though, scored her first goal of the year just 34 seconds later to give the royal blue and scarlet a bit of momentum heading into the second intermission.

Five minutes into the third period, Story added her second goal of the game and fifth of the year, a score that would prove to be the game-winner for River Falls.

Kait Mason tacked on a power play score two minutes later before Waigand scored the final tally for the Sabres with just under nine minutes left.

The Falcons outshot the Sabres, 40-11, in the contest. Ashley Kuechle made seven of the Falcon's eight saves in the game, but Melissa Deardorff's single save was enough to earn the win as she allowed just one goal in the final 20 minutes. MU's Amanda Alexander stopped 35 shots in the loss.

Marian will be back in action next weekend, Feb. 3-4, as it plays host to UW-Superior in another NCHA series. Friday's puck drops at 7 p.m. followed by a 1 p.m. start on Saturday.