Junior forward Olivia Spellmire had a goal and two assists as the Forester women's hockey team, ranked ninth in the nation, began the season with a 5-1 victory at St, Catherine University Saturday night.
Spellmire and junior defenseman Kayla Griffith assisted on the official game-winning goal scored by freshman defenseman Julia Unterseher at the 13:36 mark of the opening period. Unterseher's power play score was the first of her career.
St. Catherine had taken the early lead on a power play goal at 7:09 and the Foresters tied the score on an unassisted goal by sophomore forward Amy Budde at 11:06.
The visitors were ahead 2-1 after the game's first 20 minutes and added to their lead in the second. Forester freshman Kate Fanning lit the lamp for the first time in her career at 14:07 with Spellmire assisting on the play. It was Lake Forest's second power play goal and the Foresters had five such opportunities on the night.
A pair of shorthanded goals on the same penalty broke the game open in the third period. Spellmire scored the first at the 10:44 mark and senior forward Isabel Regine the second on an empty net just 39 seconds later. It marked just the third time in program history that the Foresters scored two shorthanded goals in a game. The first time was against St. Mary's University in January of 2013 and the second was against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point a year later.
Lake Forest had a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period but was out-shot 13-12 in the second. The Foresters put 19 shots on goal to the Wildcats' seven in the final 20 minutes.
Forester junior goaltender Jacqueline Audet stopped 23 of 24 shots on goal to earn the victory.
The same two teams will face off again Sunday afternoon at 2:00.