Box Score
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University women's hockey team squandered an early lead, but still managed to steal a point away from second-place and visiting UW-Superior with a 3-3 tie in NCHA play this evening, Feb. 3.
Marian scored two goals in the first five minutes of the first period and then added another in the second to take a 3-1 lead. But the Yellowjackets, trying to extend their five-game winning streak, fought back hard, scoring three goals to tie the game heading into the second intermission. Marian senior goaltender,
Kaytlin Ruzicka, made 21 saves in the first two periods before giving way to
Amanda Alexander, who made 28 in the final two sessions to preserve the tie.
Marian moves to 1-16-3 overall, 1-12-2 in the NCHA, while UW-Superior moves to 12-5-3 (10-3-2 NCHA).
After defeating fifth-ranked and previously unbeaten Gustavus Adolphus last time out, the Yellowjackets seemed to come out fairly flat and the Sabres took full advantage. Just 2:18 into the contest,
Katie Lindsley hammered home a goal on the doorstep to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead.
Devan Lesch and
Rachel Mullendore each were credited with assists.
Less than three minutes later, at the 4:40 mark,
Alex DeBoer stole the puck and found herself all alone across the blueline before shooting one past UWS goalie Shanley Peters to make it 2-0 Marian.
The hosts would take that lead into the first intermission. UW-Superior came out in the second period with a lot more vigor, firing 10 shots at Ruzicka and netting three. What seemed to be a commanding 3-1 lead for the Sabres, after Mullendore netted a power play score at the 9:25 mark, was suddenly gone.
UWS's Dani Schultz netted the tying score with 2:17 left in the second. The score stood for the next 25 minutes of game action as the team's split the two points.
Alexander was bombarded with shots in the third period, taking on 22 of them, and turned aside each and every one of them. UW-Superior outshot the Sabres, 52-23, in the game.
Both teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon as they drop the puck for a 1 p.m. start.
