STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The St. Olaf College women's hockey began its season with a 2-1 road victory over UW-Stevens Point on Saturday evening at K.B. Willett Arena.
Senior
Andi Huselid and junior
Bryn Haugen gave St. Olaf (1-0-0) a 2-0 lead early in the second period, a lead the Oles held onto despite UW-Stevens Point (0-1-0) pulling one goal back midway through the second period. The game was the third in a row between the two teams decided by a 2-1 margin after the Pointers swept the Oles with two 2-1 victories to begin last season.
Huselid tallied St. Olaf's first goal of the season, the fifth of her career, at the 8:28 mark of the opening period. After junior
Avery Shaw backhanded the puck to Huselid in her own zone, Huselid led a 2-on-1 rush and squeezed the puck through the goaltender to open the scoring.
Haugen doubled the Oles' lead just 1:59 into the second period with her first collegiate goal. Junior
Emilie Anderson was the first to a loose puck in the left corner and fed it to an open Haugen in front for a one-timer.
The Pointers cut their deficit in half on a goal by Addison Novak halfway through the second period, but junior
Baylyn Shankman saved the final 12 shots UW-Stevens Point got on goal the rest of the way to preserve the lead. Shankman finished the night with 34 saves.
The teams combined to go 0-for-7 on the power play, as St. Olaf was 0-for-3 but killed off all four of the penalties it committed, including one that came with 5:03 remaining in the third.
The Oles and Pointers will complete their season-opening series with a 2 p.m. puck drop at K.B. Willett Arena on Sunday, Nov. 1.
