The Forester women's hockey team hosted and defeated Finlandia University 7-3 on Friday in the first game of the teams' weekend series. Senior forward Morgan Pope scored the official game-winning goal and assisted on two other Lake Forest scores.
Pope and senior defenseman Erin Shamley assisted sophomore forward Allie Girard on the game's first goal at 11:47 in the opening period. Forester freshman forward Leah Ebdon then scored the first goal of her career to double the home team's lead at 13:09. She was assisted by fellow freshman forwards Amanda Brunges and Taylor Kreiling. Forester senior Marissa Weber added a third goal in a two-and-a-half minute span when she lit the lamp for the second time this season at 14:07. Freshman defenseman Kayla Griffith and freshman forward Olivia Spellmire assisted on the score.
The score remained 3-0 until Pope netted her fifth goal of the year 92 seconds into the second period. The official game-winning score was assisted by junior forward Holly Lesperance and senior forward Morgan Pope.
Finlandia finally got on the scoreboard at the 13:19 mark of the second period. The Lions made things interesting in the third, converting a power play opportunity at 7:39 and pulling to within a goal at 4-3 just 24 seconds later.
Girard gave the Foresters some breathing room with her second goal of the game and fourth this season at 11:16. She was assisted by junior forwards Melissa Paluch and Michelle Greeneway. Senior defenseman Erin Shamley extended the lead with a power play goal with 4:03 to play in the contest and senior forward Laura Reckdenwald added her team-high sixth goal of the season just 10 seconds later. Pope and junior defenseman Alex Stensland assisted on Shamley's third tally of the year and Reckdenwald's score was set up by Spellmire and freshman defenseman Caroline Campbell.
Sixteen different Foresters had at least one point in the game.
Lake Forest junior goaltender Allie Carter made a dozen saves to earn the victory and improve to 3-2-1 on the year.
The Foresters are now 6-3-1 overall and in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play while Finlandia fell to 0-8-0 overall and 0-7-0 in the league. The same two teams will face off again at 1:00 Saturday afternoon.
