The Forester women's hockey team was defeated 7-5 by visiting University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the eighth-ranked team in the nation, Saturday afternoon. Lake Forest junior forward Melissa Paluch received the program's annual Ry McCarthy Award between the first and second periods.
Paluch assisted fellow junior forward Michelle Greeneway on the game's first goal three minutes and five seconds into the contest. The short-handed score was Greeneway's tean-high 11th of the season and the 63rd in her career, tying her with Kim Herring (2008-12) for first place in program history. The assist moved Paluch into sole possession of fifth place in team annals with 43 in her career.
Stevens Point scored 44 seconds later on the same power play opportunity.
The Foresters committed another penalty at 5:48 but found the back of the net with another short-handed score 70 seconds later. It was the fifth of the season for senior forward Emily Wybo and was assisted by junior forward Holly Lesperance and freshman defenseman Kayla Griffith. It was just the second time Lake Forest scored a pair of short-handed goals in a game since the program became a varsity sport in 2000. The other was just last season against St. Mary's University.
The home team added to its lead at the 10:41 mark on senior forward Laura Reckdenwald's third power play score of the year. Junior defenseman Alex Stensland and senior forward Morgan Pope were credited with assists on the play.
The Pointers closed out the first period scoring at 15:53 with the game's first even-strength goal.
Paluch became the sixth recipient of the Ry McCarthy Award during the first intermission. Members of the McCarthy family as well as a few past honorees were on the ice for the presentation (Click here for more information about the award). It was also Alumni Day and many of the former Foresters who competed in the Alumni Game earlier in the day were recognized out on the ice between the first two periods.
The second period was scoreless until Griffith netted her second goal of the weekend and season at 13:28. The home team's second power play score of the game was set up by Greeneway.
Reckdenwald struck again to give Lake Forest a 5-2 with 2:01 to play in the period. Wybo and sophomore forward Allie Girard assisted on Reckdenwald's eighth goal of the year.
Stevens Point scored the final five goals of the contest to earn the come-from-behind victory. The Pointers made it 5-3 with 52 seconds remaining in the second period and pulled to within one at 2:40 in the third. A power play score tied the game at the 8:03 mark and the visitors took the lead at 12:39. The Foresters pulled their goalie while on the power play with 39 seconds remaining but the Pointers were able to tack on an empty net short-handed goal with 29 seconds left.
Lake Forest fell to 8-5-2 on the season while the Pointers improved to 12-5-1.
The Foresters will resume Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play at Marian University next Wednesday. The teams will face off at 7:00 p.m.
