The Lake Forest College women's hockey team, ranked seventh in
the nation by US College Hockey Online, skated to a 3-3 tie with
visiting UW-River Falls, the sixth-ranked team in the country,
Friday night (February 12). The Foresters are now 15-2-3 overall
this season and 9-1-3 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association
play. The Falcons are 14-3-5 overall and 7-2-4 in the league.
The teams each put nine shots on goal during a scoreless opening
period.
Lake Forest took the lead exactly five minutes into the second
period on junior Lynn Switaj's (Avon Lake, Ohio/Ohio Flames) ninth
goal of the season. Her power play goal was assisted by senior
Courtney Bean (Peoria, Ill./Team Illinois). The home team extended
its lead to 2-0 at the 8:10 mark when freshman Rosy Fujimoto
(Wasilla, Alaska/Team Alaska) also converted a power play
opportunity. Her seventh goal of the year was assisted by classmate
Chelsea Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska/Team Alaska). Junior Melissa Kravich (Wilmette, Ill./Gustavus Adolphus College) then lit the
lamp for the ninth time this season at the 12:57 mark, giving the
Foresters a 3-0 advantage.
River Falls responded with its first goal of the game just 22
seconds later and the score was 3-1 in favor of Lake Forest going
into the final 20 minutes of regulation. The Foresters out-shot the
Falcons 25-9 in the second period.
The visitors pulled to within a goal at the 8:14 mark of the third
period, tied the score at 12:54, and out-shot Lake Forest 11-9 in
the frame.
Desperate for a victory to improve their spot in the league
standings, the Falcons pulled their goalie with 70 seconds to play
in the five-minute overtime period but were unable to score on
Forester junior Alyssa Wintermute (Belmont, Ontario/St. Thomas
Panthers), who stopped six shots on goal in overtime and 32 in the
contest.
Lake Forest and River Falls will face off again at 2:00 tomorrow
afternoon. A live radio broadcasts of the game will be available at
wmxm.org.