Lake Forest College senior forward Michelle Greeneway continues to lead the nation in goals after scoring twice Friday night in a 5-2 victory over visiting Concordia University Wisconsin.
Greeneway now has 25 goals this season and 95 in her career. She started the scoring Friday night at the 3:12 mark of the first period. The score was assisted by freshman forward Amy Budde and sophomore forward Olivia Spellmire.
Concordia Wisconsin tied the score with 2:13 remaining in the opening period but sophomore foward Leah Ebdon regained the lead for the home team just 25 seconds later. Freshman defenseman Samantha Wais and sophomore defenseman Kayla Griffith were credited with assists on Ebdon's sixth score of the season.
Lake Forest had a slight 11-10 edge in shots on goal in the game's first 20 minutes before out-shooting the Falcons 10-4 in a scoreless second period. The Foresters put 10 more shots on goal to the visitors' two in the third.
A major penalty with just five seconds remaining in the second period put the home team on a long penalty kill. Concordia Wisconsin took advantage at the 2:56 mark and tied the score at two.
Greeneway gave the Foresters their lead back at 5:07, just 12 seconds after the team returned to full strength. She gained control of a loose puck in front of the goal and sent it in for her NCAA Division III-leading sixth game-winning goal of the season. Junior forward Allie Girard assisted on the score. Greeneway is now alone in seventh place in NCAA Division III history with 95 career goals and tied-for-ninth with 18 game-winners over the last four years.
Lake Forest entered the game ranked second in the country with a 30 percent conversion rate on power play opportunities. After failing to score on their first two such chances on Friday, the home team netted power play scores at 13:13 and 16:46 in the third period. Griffith netted the first, her sixth goal this year, with sophomore forward Amanda Brunges assisting. The second was scored by junior forward Isabel Regine, whose second goal of 2015-16 was set up by Greeneway and Griffith. Griffith's three-point game was the third of her career and Greeneway's assist gave her 35 points on the year, matching the third-highest total in team history.
Forester senior goaltender Allie Carter did not face a shot on goal in the game's final 17 minutes and finished the night with 14 saves. She improved to 11-1-0 on the season and is just one victory shy of the single-season program record set by Theresa Taylor in 2002-23 and matched by Stacey Dierking in 2012-13.
The Foresters are now 16-1-1 overall and 11-0-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play. Friday's victory assured them a spot in the four-team NCHA Slaats Cup Playoffs. Concordia Wisconsin fell to 5-12-1 overall and 3-9-0 in the league.
The same two teams will face off again Saturday afternoon at 2:00. It will be Alumni Day at Lake Forest and the annual Ry McCarthy Award will be precented between the first two periods.
