O'FALLON, Ill. | McKendree Metro Rec Plex - McKendree University women's hockey (6-3) dominated in a home victory on Friday afternoon with an offensive show-out, beating the Colorado Buffaloes, 12-1. The Bearcats were headlined by nine different goal-scorers while allowing one goal or less for the third time in their last four games. McKendree is back on its home ice on Saturday, October 21 against Colorado with a 3:15PM puck drop.
The Bearcats were not ones to wait long to kick-off homecoming weekend, scoring four goals in the first period against the Buffaloes to hold a 4-1 advantage in the intermission. Junior forward
Brittney Kambeitz led the game off with a goal in the fourth minute as senior forward
Jaynee Smothers and junior defender
Aria Groot tallied assists on the first goal of the outing. The goal was the first of the campaign for Kambeitz. In the eighth minute, sophomore forward
Janaya Laqua scored her third of the season, getting the assist from senior forward junior Gorgevska-Sharpe. Just over a minute after the Bearcats pushed their lead to 2-0, junior forward
Isobelle Hobbs found the back of the net with her third goal of the campaign with junior forward
Kiley Hasenfratz and freshman forward
Julia Koski adding assists on the score. Rounding-out the first period was freshman foward
Abby Jeffers, who collected her third goal of the fall on an unassisted play. McKendree held its 4-1 lead at the end of the period with CU gaining one back in the 15th minute of action.
The remainder of the game was all McKendree with eight goals being fired over the final two periods of play. In the second period, Laqua, Groot, Jeffers, and Gorgevska-Sharpe (twice), each scored, making the contest a 9-1 lead for the Bearcats going into the second intermission break. The goal was Groot's first of the season and pushed her to 50 career points in just 49 games, which is the fastest any Bearcat has achieved the feat. She is also the first defensive player to amass 50 career points for McKendree.
In the third and final period of Friday's contest, the Bearcats managed the final three goals of the game with sophomore
Jayna Barnden and senior
Jaynee Smothers each scoring their first of the contest while Kambeitz finished-off the game for McKendree. Groot assisted on Barnden's goal while Kambeitz while sophomore defense
Julia Defosse dished-out helpers on Smothers score and junior defense
Lainy Stienstra assisted on Kambeitz' goal.
Sophomore goaltender
Rachel Staresinic got the win while playing full time in goal, her third victory of the year.
SCORING
P1 | #11
Brittney Kambeitz via #41
Jaynee Smothers, #13
Aria Groot
P1 | #14
Janaya Laqua via #7
Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe
P1 | #2
Isobelle Hobbs via #96
Kiley Hasenfratz, #40
Julia Koski
P1 | #3
Abby Jeffers, unassisted
P2 | #14
Janaya Laqua via #7
Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe
P2 | #13
Aria Groot, unassisted
P2 | #7
Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe via #57
Lainy Stienstra, #13
Aria Groot
P2 | #3
Abby Jeffers via #15
Jayna Barnden, #4
Brooke Lannon
P2 | #7
Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe via #41
Jaynee Smothers, #24
Ashley Hayley
P3 | #15
Jayna Barnden via #13
Aria Groot
P3 | #41
Jaynee Smothers via #11
Brittney Kambeitz, #91
Julia Defosse
P3 | #11
Brittney Kambeitz via #57
Lainy Stienstra
NOTES
McKendree earned its fifth-straight win after beginning the season 1-3. The Bearcats have outscored their opponents 28-7 over the last five contests.
Junior defense
Aria Groot tallied her 50th collegiate point in Friday's game on her first goal of the season. Groot is the first defensive skater to reach the 50-point mark for McKendree while now being the fastest player to reach the 50-point threshold as she accomplished the feat in 49 games.
UP NEXT
McKendree will be back against the Buffaloes on Saturday, October 21 at 3:15PM at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.
