St. Olaf College Women’s Hockey Team Faces UW-River Falls in Close Matchup
RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The St. Olaf College women’s hockey team faced a challenging non-conference opponent in top-ranked UW-River Falls on Tuesday evening, concluding the game with a narrow 2-1 defeat at Hunt Arena.
Game Summary
Sophomore Bryn Etzell recorded her first goal of the season, tying the game 1-1 during the second period. However, a late power-play goal by Alexa Niccum sealed the victory for UW-River Falls, which is currently rated as the number one team in both the USCHO and DIIIHockey News national polls.
First Period Highlights
- The scoring opportunity for UW-River Falls was nearly realized early in the game when Makenne Kadrlik’s shot hit the pipe, initially causing the goal light to flash.
- Shortly after, Kylie Jones found the back of the net, bringing the score to 1-0 for the Falcons at 13:20 into the first period.
Second Period Progression
St. Olaf’s Etzell turned the momentum midway through the second period, netting a goal from the right point at the 11:05 mark, with assists credited to seniors MaKenna Beaver and Molly Terebayza.
However, UW-River Falls responded with a decisive power-play goal from Niccum, who scored from the right point just before the end of the period, putting the Falcons ahead 2-1.
Third Period Defense and Opportunities
Although St. Olaf had a couple of power-play chances in the final period, including their fourth opportunity with just over five minutes left, they were able to produce only one shot on goal. With 1:14 remaining, the Oles pulled their goaltender Baylyn Shankman in an attempt to create scoring chances but were unable to capitalize.
Goalkeeping Performance
Shankman excelled for St. Olaf, making 29 saves throughout the game, including 15 in the third period alone. Conversely, Jordan O’Kane of UW-River Falls recorded six saves in each period, contributing to her team’s victory.
Looking Ahead
The St. Olaf women’s hockey team will continue to compete in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as they prepare for a series against St. Catherine University on December 4 and 5. The first game of the series is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at the St. Olaf Ice Arena.
