NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sophomore Lauren Spear scored both goals for the St. Olaf College women's hockey team in a 7-2 loss to sixth-ranked UW-River Falls in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

Spear scored late in the second period and again early in the third period for St. Olaf (5-3-1), but UW-River Falls (6-1-0) had already scored five times in the second period to build a 6-0 lead before Spear's first goal. The two-goal game was the first of Spear's collegiate career.

Sophomore Grace Lankas picked up assists on both of Spear's goals to bring her team-leading total to eight in nine games, which ranks tied for second in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Fellow sophomore Iona Welsch also collected her first assist of the season on Spear's first goal of the night.

UW-River Falls got on the board just 1:58 in by scoring on the first shot of the game on a goal by Emma Schmitz. The goal was the lone goal of the opening period, but the Falcons scored twice in the opening 1:32 of the second period on their way to a five-goal middle period.

With St. Olaf trailing 6-0, Spear got the Oles on the board with 30.0 seconds remaining in the second period, firing a shot over the glove of the UW-River Falls goaltender after Welsch drove into the offensive zone. Spear added her second goal of the game at 3:55 of the third period, scoring on a 6-on-4 power play after the Oles pulled their goalie to create a two-skater advantage.

Seven different skaters scored in the win for UW-River Falls and 14 Falcons had at least one point on the night. The visitors held a 33-21 advantage in shots on goal in the game. First year Hannah Fritz made 14 saves for the Oles over the first 29:02 before classmate Carley Tuman stopped 12 of the 13 shots she faced in 27:33 between the pipes in her collegiate debut.

St. Olaf returns to MIAC play with a series opener against Augsburg University at home on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.