Scoreless Tie Knocks Foresters out of Slaats Cup Playoffs

Photo by Matt Weidner
Photo by Matt Weidner

Senior goaltender Allie Carter extended her program record for shutouts in a season but a scoreless tie with visiting St. Norbert College in game two of their semifinal series eliminated the Foresters from the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Slaats Cup playoffs.

St. Norbert took Friday night's game 3-1, meaning Lake Forest needed to win Saturday's contest to extend the series to a decisive 20-minute minigame. St. Norbert will advance to play the winner of the league's other semifinal series between the College of St. Scholastica and host Adrian College.

Shots on goal were hard to come by, as the teams combined for just 31 in the entire game. Carter tallied six saves in the opening period and five in both the second and third for her sixth shutout of the year. She ranks second in the country in goals against average (1.15), 10th in save percentage (.945), and tied-for-seventh in shutouts.

Carter was pulled after the Green Knights were penalized with exactly a minute to play in regulation, giving the home team a 6-on-4 advantage. She came out again early in the five-minute overtime period but Lake Forest was unable to score again. Both teams were assessed penalties in the final two minutes of the game and Carter came out again with 62 seconds left but the St. Norbert defense kep the puck out of the net.

The Foresters have won a program record 20 games against just four losses and three ties during the 2015-16 season. Other team records set this season included the squad's eight shutouts, six short-handed goals (tied the record), 155 assists, 33 goals allowed, and 1.22 goals allowed per game. Individual marks included senior forward Michelle Greeneway's 33 goals, sophomore forward Olivia Spellmire's 27 assists, and Carter's save percentage, goals against average, shutouts, and 14 wins.