NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's hockey team began Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play by shutting out Bethel University, 4-0, on Friday night at St. Olaf Ice Arena.
St. Olaf (3-1-1, 1-0-0 MIAC) scored three first-period goals and first year
Hannah Fritz recorded her first-career shutout to keep Bethel (1-2-0, 0-1-0 MIAC) off the board to extend the Oles' unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1). The shutout was St. Olaf's first at St. Olaf Ice Arena, as the team's last shutout was a 2-0 home victory over Augsburg University back on Jan. 26, 2018.
The four-goal victory marked the Oles' joint-highest margin of victory in a MIAC game since a 6-1 home win versus Hamline University on Jan. 18, 2014. The win was also St. Olaf's first against the Royals since Feb. 9, 2018, as Bethel was 7-0-1 in the previous eight head-to-head meetings.
First year
Solvei Berg-Messerole had a hand in three of St. Olaf's four goals by earning an assist on the opening goal of the game before scoring the final two. Sophomore
Grace Lankas and first year
Molly Terebayza also scored in the win, while senior
Chloe LaFond recorded the first two-point game of her career with a pair of assists.
Terebayza got the Oles off to a quick start, scoring just 1:55 into the game by jamming the puck over the line after an initial shot by Berg-Messerole. The goal was the second of Terebayza's young career.
St. Olaf stretched its lead to 3-0 at the first intermission on goals by Lankas and Berg-Messerole in the span of 1:08 inside the final three minutes of the period. Lankas scored unassisted at 17:12 to give her at least one point in all five of the Oles' games this season before Berg-Messerole re-directed a LaFond shot for her first goal of the night.
In the second period, St. Olaf capitalized on a 4-on-3 power play to stretch its lead to 4-0 when Berg-Messerole fired a wrist shot glove side from outside the left face-off dot off a drop pass from LaFond for her second of the game. The Oles have scored at least one power play goal in all five of their games this season, including six over their last three contests.
Fritz saved all 16 shots she faced in recording her second victory in three starts. Ashley Hess was the much busier of the two goalies, stopping 39 shots in the loss for the visitors. Hess had at least 11 saves in all three periods, as the Oles held a 43-16 advantage in shots on goal.
The two teams complete their series on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. at Bethel University Arena at the National Sports Center in Blaine.
