Notables:
-Second multiple-goal game of the season for Sawyer
-Saints had seven different scorers on the eight goals
-Game saw four power play goals - three for CSS and one for AU
-Second-most shots in a game in program history
-Forsman scored her first goal of the season
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica women's hockey team earned a notable victory over Aurora University (Ill.) on Friday night at Mars Lakeview Arena with a final score of 8-2.
The Action
The Saints got an early start on the game, thanks to a penalty on Aurora in the third minute of the game. Kaleigh Hamann (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) recorded the power play goal 20 seconds after the penalty that gave the Saints a skater advantage, assisted on the play by Mac Johnson (Monticello, Minn./Monticello HS (St. Cloud State)) and Abby Sawyer (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS). Two minutes later, Sawyer put her first of two goals in to make the score 2-0. She was assisted by Hamann and M. Johnson on the play. Most of the first period passed before either team earned another goal.
The second penalty of the game was called on Aurora, giving the Saints another power play opportunity. M. Johnson made use of the chance, with help from Sawyer, to make the score 3-0. Aurora answered almost immediately, less than a minute later, on a goal from Nicole McKernan. The Saints weren't done though and Paige Forsman (Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato HS), assisted by Lindsey Wright (Anchorage, Alaska/Grace Christian HS (Team Alaska U19)), scored the fourth CSS goal of the game. This was Forsman's first goal of the season. This brought the game to the first intermission with the Saints up 4-1.
The second period saw four more goals. Greta Nundahl (New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS), assisted by Sam Gorecki (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic (Chicago Fury)), scored four and a half minutes into the period. Three and a half minutes after that, Aurora scored their second of the game on a power play. The scorer on the play was McKernan once again and would be the last AU goal of the game. Giorgia Battisti (Bolzano, Italy/Rice Memorial HS (Vermont)) put another Saints point on the board, assisted by Alexia Klaas (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS (Minnesota-Duluth)) to make the score 6-2. Not long after, Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) pushed the Saints lead even further with a goal of her own on a power play. M. Johnson aided in the goal which was her third assist of the game.
The final period of the game saw only one goal, in contrast to previous two periods. This one came from Sawyer on her second goal of the game, assisted by Hamann and Rachel Anderson (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) to give the game its final score of 8-2.
Goaltending
Lexi Thomeczek (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph Academy (St. Louis AAA Blues)) was in net for the Saints, saving 14 shots during the game. Freshman Maddy Benson (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield HS) also got some time between the pipes and made six saves. For Aurora, Becca Binder took the loss, making 22 saves on 28 shots. Chiara Pfosi also spent some time in goal, making 33 saves on 35 shots faced.
Up Next
The Saints (9-3-4, 8-1-2 NCHA) are back on the ice tomorrow afternoon when they take on Aurora again for the second game of the series. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m.
