Lake Forest scored the game's first and last goals but dropped a 32 decision to visiting Aurora University on Sunday.
It was the Foresters' Senior Day and the five players on the team who will be graduating in May—defenseman Jordan Trapp, goaltender Julieana Tarantino, and forwards Annie Dalton, Makenzie Kamm, and Megan Lyke—were honored before the contest.
Kamm also helped get the home team on the scoreboard, registering an assist on freshman forward Danielle Selby's first career goal at the 7:15 mark of the opening period.
Aurora tied the score at 16:07 in the second period and then took the lead just 53 seconds into the third. The visitors added what proved to be the official game-winner at 11:23.
A penalty on the Foresters with 2:21 remaining appeared to clinch the Aurora victory, but a pair of infractions by the Spartans in the next 21 seconds set up a power play opportunity and chance for a comeback by the home team. With Tarantino on the bench in favor of an extra attacker, Lake Forest finally broke through and Dalton's first score of the season cut the deficit in half with 22.1 seconds on the clock. Freshman forward Caitlyn Dahut started the play with a pass from behind the next to Trapp, whose shot was saved but came out in front of the goal, where Dalton secured it and scored.
Trapp put another shot on goal in the closing seconds but it was saved and the Spartans held on for the win.
Lake Forest is now 0-4-0 on the season while Aurora improved to 4-5-0 overall and 4-2-0 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play.
The Foresters and Spartans will face off again in Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse Tuesday night at 7:30.
