STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The St. Olaf College women's hockey team was unable to find a game-tying goal in the third period of a 3-2 loss to UW-Stevens Point on Sunday afternoon at K.B. Willett Arena.
After St. Olaf (1-1-0) claimed a 2-1 win in Saturday night's season opener, UW-Stevens Point (1-1-0) got two goals from Molly Pohlkamp, including the eventual game-winner on the power play late in the second period, to earn a split on opening weekend. Six of the last eight meetings between the two programs have been decided by one goal, including each of the last four over the last two seasons.
The Pointers built a 2-0 lead midway through the second period on a first-period goal by Claire Riestenberg and Pohlkamp's first goal of the game at 10:39 of the second. First year
Kate Petrie got the Oles on the board with a power-play goal just 1:09 after Pohlkamp's goal, as Petrie blasted in a rebound after sophomore
Mackinley Ronan's shot from the left point hit traffic and slid to Petrie on the right side.
Pohlkamp scored on the power play at 15:08 of the second to extend UW-Stevens Point's lead to 3-1, but St. Olaf responded less than three minutes later when senior
Andi Huselid's shot deflected in off senior
Julia Larson in front. After collecting the puck at the top of the right circle, Huselid walked past a defender and fired a shot that glanced off Larson's chest for Larson's first goal of the season at 17:42.
The Oles outshot the Pointers by a 6-4 margin in shots on goal in the third period but were unable to find a tying goal. UW-Stevens Point goaltender Annie Beck robbed first years
Ali Butler and
Ayla Hill with near point-blank saves three minutes apart early in the period to help the hosts hold on.
Beck had 27 saves in the win for UW-Stevens Point, while first
Kylie Jaksha made 23 saves for St. Olaf in her collegiate debut.
St. Olaf will open its first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) series of the season with Bethel University on home ice at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20.
