NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In its final home game of the season, the St. Olaf College women's hockey team was blanked 5-0 by defending national champion and third-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday evening at St. Olaf Ice Arena.
After a scoreless opening period, Gustavus (19-4-0, 16-1-0 MIAC) scored three times in the first 10 minutes of the second period and added a pair of goals in the final four minutes of the third to shut out St. Olaf (10-14-0, 4-13-0 MIAC). The win was the Gusties' eighth shutout of the season and lowered their goals-against average to 0.91.
The Oles registered the first three shots of the game, including two on goal, over the first minute-plus of the game and had the best scoring chance of the opening period later on. With St. Olaf on the power play, Katie McCoy – the NCAA's all-time leader in career wins by a women's hockey goaltender – slid across the line to thwart a one-timer by first year
Andi Huselid after junior
Sophie McBane slid the puck to Huselid in front from behind the goal.
Gustavus took control in the final minutes of the opening period, firing the final 11 shots of the period over the last three-plus minutes and held a 14-5 advantage in shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes. The Gusties struck early in the second period after getting a power play inside the first minute of the period as Sophia Coltvet tipped in a shot by Molly McHugh 1:52 into the period to break the deadlock.
The visitors tacked on two more goals 1:38 apart near the midway point of the period to stretch their lead to 3-0 after two. Hailey Holland scored on a mini-breakaway from the blue line at the 7:47 mark before Coltvet got her second of the game from the top of the right circle at the 9:25 mark.
Holland's second goal of the game with 3:31 to go and a goal from McHugh in the final 10 seconds closed out the scoring for the Gusties in the third. McCoy claimed her 33rd shutout by stopping all 11 shots on goal St. Olaf generated in the game, while sophomore
Hannah Fritz made a career-high 40 saves in the loss for the Oles.
St. Olaf wraps up its season with the series finale in St. Peter on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.
