DE PERE, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University women's hockey team had the first of three straight games against the St. Norbert Green Knights tonight, Jan 23. A lopsided second period gave the advantage to the Green Knights as they dropped the Sabres 4-1 to put them at 5-11-1 and 3-7 in the NCHA on the season.

The Green Knights (11-6-1, 6-4-1 NCHA) outshot the Sabres 43-15 as they were able to maintain control of the puck for most of the night. The Sabres were limited to just seven shots in the first two periods as the Green Knights were having their way with the Marian defense.

Early mistakes by the Sabres quickly provided the Green Knights with momentum. After Marian's Paige Johnson was called for elbowing eight minutes into the first, St. Norbert's Lauren Roethlisberger put the Green Knights on the board with the power play goal.

A second period surge by the Green Knights deepened the Sabres hole as they allowed 24 shots in the period. Just over a minute into the period, Green Knight's sophomore, Kylie Gazzolo scored her sixth goal of the season to increase the lead to two. St. Norbert's leading goal scorer, Ali Parker, tacked on one more on a four-on-four attack just over six minutes later to provide insurance.

The Sabres turned things on in the third period, but it was too late to respond to the Green Knights early attack. Eight shots were taken by the Sabres in the period, more than double what they took in the first two combined. Senior, Brittany Syms, was able to put the Sabres on the board with her sixth goal of the season just over seven minutes into the period, but it was too late for a come-back.

Parker added her eleventh goal of the season for the Green Knights with just less than five minutes remaining to seal the deal.

The two teams will square off again tomorrow for the middle game of the season series. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m.