Foresters Roll at Aurora

Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com
Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com

Sophomore forward Sydney Simone finished with five points and the Lake Forest College women's hockey team prevailed 13-2 Saturday night at Aurora University.

Simone registered her first career hat trick and added a pair of assists in the contest for a new career-high in points. She is just the 10th player in program history with as many as five points in a game, joining junior forward Amy Budde, senior forward Olivia Spellmire, and Forester assistant coach Melissa Paluch on that list. Simone scored in each period Saturday night and assisted on scores in the second and third.

Budde, senior forward Amanda Brunges, and freshman forward Annie Dalton each had four points in the game while Spellmire, senior defenseman Kayla Griffith, and freshman Jordan Trapp had three apiece. Spellmire matched Simone's goal total for her second career hat trick with all three scores coming during a five-minute span in the opening period.

The home team actually scored first in the game but the Foresters followed the short-handed goal at 3:25 in the opening period with three scores from Spellmire and one from Simone in the next five minutes. Trapp, Brunges, Dalton, Budde, freshman forward Megan Lyke, and sophomore forward Kate Fanning each had an assist during the scoring barrage.

Budde, Simone, and Dalton netted goals in the second period with Dalton's coming on the power play. All three goal-scorers also had an assist in the period, as did Brunges.

Simone completed her hat trick early in the third period and the visitors added to the lead with two goals from sophomore forward Maddie Davis and one each from Griffith, Budde, and Trapp. Trapp's score was the first of her career. Griffith and Brunges each had two assists in the period while Simone, Trapp, Dalton, and sophomore forward Lexi Morgan chipped in with one helper apiece.

Aurora closed out the night's scoring with a power play goal at 14:06 in the final period.

Forester freshman goaltender Julieana Tarantino made a dozen saves and earned the victory in her collegiate debut.

The visitors' 13 goals and 31 points on the night are each the second-highest single-game totals in program history.

Lake Forest is now 2-3-0 overall this season and 2-1-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play. Aurora remains winless after five games, including three league contests, in the program's first season.