Sophomore forward Olivia Spellmire and senior goaltender Allie Carter broke single-season program records for assists and shutouts, respectively, and the Lake Forest College women's hockey team blanked Marian University 5-0 at home on Saturday.
Carter made seven saves in each of the first two periods and eight in the third to record her school record fifth shutout of the year. She is now 14-1-0 on the season and ranks second in the nation in winning percentage and with a 1.00 goals against average. She is also ninth with a .946 save percentage.
The Foresters took the early lead at the 5:46 mark of the first period on junior forward Allie Girard's fourth goal of the season. She was assisted by senior defenseman Natalie Pattison.
Spellmire tied the program's single-season assists record Friday with her 25th of the year and took sole possession of the mark at the 13:14 mark of Saturday's opening period. Senior forward Holly Lesperance also assisted on classmate Michelle Greeneway's power play score that gave the Foresters a 2-0 advantage they took into the second period.
Lesperance and Spellmire set up the home team's next goal as well, as sophomore defenseman Caroline Campbell also converted a power play opportunity two minutes and 34 seconds into the second period. All three of Campbell's goals this season have been scored on the power play.
Greeneway, who broke her own team record for goals in a season on Saturday, netted her national-leading 33rd of the year at the 7:22 mark of the third period. Pattison and fellow senior defenseman Alex Stensland assisted on Greeneway's 103rd career goal, which ties her for fourth place in NCAA Division III history.
Spellmire closed out the scoring with Lake Forest's third power play goal of the contest at 16:58. Greeneway and Lesperance set up the score, her 13th of the season. The Foresters were 3-for-8 on the power play on the day and rank second in the nation at 30.7 percent for the year.
It was the final regular season home game for the Forester seniors and Lesperance, Pattison, Greeneway, Stensland, and Carter were honored along with injured forward Melissa Paluch before the contest. In addition to Carter's shutout, the four healthy senior skaters combined for nine points on two goals and seven assists on the day.
The victory made the 2015-16 Foresters the first team in program history with 20 wins and they have just one loss and a pair of ties on the year. Ranked fourth in the nation, Lake Forest also leds the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association with a 15-0-1 mark in conference play. Marian fell to 7-16-0 overall and 4-12-0 in the league.
The Foresters can clinch the 2015-16 NCHA title with a victory in either game at second place Adrian College next weekend. The teams will face off Friday night at 7:00 (EST) and again at 3:00 (EST) Saturday afternoon.