The Forester women's hockey team defeated host Finlandia University 6-0 on Saturday, raising its overall record to 12-8-3 and evening its Northern Collegiate Hockey Association mark at 8-8-3. When senior Lynn Switaj assisted junior Kim Herring on the game's final goal, both players moved into a tie with 2008 graduate Laura Wilson for second place in program history with 79 career points.
Lake Forest freshman Emily Cornett started the scoring seven minutes into the contest with her third goal of the season. Switaj then doubled the visitors' lead with her team-high ninth of the year at 15:46. Sophomore Jenn Caldwell assisted on Cornett's goal and senior Melissa Kravich on Switaj's.
Junior Jessica Dare matched Switaj with her ninth goal of the season 84 seconds into the second period. Freshman Maeve Connelly lit the lamp 94 seconds later. Kravich and senior Kim Herron assisted on Connelly's fifth score of the year. Kravich also raised her program record career assist total to 48, two more than Switaj. Herron continue the second period scoring surge with her fifth of the year at 7:02. Freshman Amanda Forsyth and Sarah Gilbride assisted on the score. Herring's closer came at exactly 10:00.
Forester senior goaltender Brittany Lemke needed just 17 saves to blank the Lions. It was her fourth career shutout, tying her for third place in team history.
The same two teams will face off in the regular season finale tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 (EST). A victory would make Lake Forest the #6 seed in the NCHA's O'Brien Cup Tournament and set up a two-game quarterfinals series at UW-Superior next weekend. A loss or tie tomorrow would leave the Foresters in eighth place and force them to travel to UW-River Falls, the league's regular season champion, for the quarterfinal round.
