In a battle between two of the three highest-scoring women's hockey teams in the nation, the Foresters defeated Adrian College 6-3 at home Saturday night. Sophomore forward Logan Taylor assisted on three of Lake Forest's six goals.
Taylor's first assist of the night came on fellow sophomore forward Michelle Greeneway's goal that tied the score at one at the eight-minute mark of the opening period. After Adrian regained the lead on a power play goal at 13:45, the Foresters evened the score again on a power play score of their own by junior forward Enily Wybo at 15:48. Wybo was assisted by a pair of defenseman, junior Erin Shamley and sophomore Alex Stensland. Another Forester power play goal, the second score of the night for Greeneway, gave the home team a 3-2 lead late in the period. Greeneway's NCAA Division III-leading 24th goal of the year was assisted by Taylor and sophomore forward Melissa Paluch.
The only score of the second period was another Forester power play goal at 5:05. Junior Marissa Weber's 12th overall score this season and team-high fourth game-winner was assisted by Greeneway and Taylor. Taylor now leads Lake Forest with 18 assists this year, the sixth-highest single-season total in team history.
Wybo netted her second and the Foresters' fourth power play goal of the night at the 8:21 mark of the third period. Her sixth score this year was set up by Shamley and junior forward Morgan Pope. Lake Forest's special teams continued their stellar game later in the period, although the home team's sixth goal was scored 13 seconds after Adrian went on the power play. Looking to take advantage of the opportunity, the Bulldogs pulled their goaltender and Forester sophomore forward Holly Lesperance netted an unassisted, short-handed, empty net goal at 12:45. It was her sixth score of the season.
Lake Forest outshot their guests 39-25 in the game.
Forester senior goaltender Stacey Dierking made 22 saves on the night and raised her record on the season to 5-2-2. She also became just the second goalie in program history with 30 career victories.
With a weekend remaining in the regular season, Lake Forest is 13-5-3 overall and 11-3-2 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play, trailing league-leading College of St. Scholastica by just two points. The Foresters will play at Concordia University Wisconsin next Friday night at 7:00 and at Marian University at 2:00 the following afternoon while the Saints have just one conference game remaining, a 4:00 battle Saturday afternoon at St. Norbert College. St. Scholastica owns the tiebreaker if the two teams finish the season tied in the standings.
