FREMONT, Neb. | Sidner Ice Arena - No.7 McKendree University women's hockey (7-4-1) battled in a tough weekend matchup with the No.2 Warriors of Midland University, dropping the first game of the pair while officially tying the second. The Bearcats nabbed a shootout victory in the second matchup of the weekend as freshman forward
Brooklynne Painter fired the winner, yet the game counts as a draw on the books. McKendree rounds-out its fall session on the ice during its upcoming games, all of which will be at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex, taking on Adrian, Michigan, and Colorado State.
Game 1 | November 4
The Bearcars entered the weekend test with a six-game winning streak and ready for the test of the number two team in the country in Midland. McKendree was pushed early as the Warriors tallied a pair of goals in the first period off 11 shots. The hosting-Warriors fired a fourth and eighth-minute score to keep a 2-0 lead at the first intermission break. McKendree sent five shots on goal in the first 20 minutes.
The top-10 squads fought back and forth in the second period with 16 combined shots. The Warriors maintained the 2-0 lead over the Bearcats going into the third and final period.
McKendree's stonewall defense continued following the opening period goals while its offense moved forward. The Bearcats tallied seven shots in the third period while Midland fired just three. The scoring opened in the 19th minute for McKendree on a power play as junior defense
Aria Groot scored her second of the campaign with assists by freshman forward
Abby Jeffers and junior forward
Kiley Hasenfratz.
McKendree was unable to push through for the tying score in the final minute. Sophomore goaltender
Rachel Staresinic held net with 21 saves in the contest.
SCORING
P3 | #13
Aria Groot (2) via #3
Abby Jeffers (7), #96
Kiley Hasenfratz (5)
Game 2 | November 5
McKendree looked to rebound in the second game of the weekend road trip, playing another tight contest with the Warriors in Nebraska. The squads both found the net in the first period as Midland struck first in the 10th minute. McKendree tied the game in the 20th minute of the first period as sophomore forward
Jayna Barnden fired the power play score. Groot and Jeffers tallied the assists on the game-tying goal.
McKendree and Midland battled in the next two periods with the game staying knotted at 1-1, resulting in overtime. The OT period led to null scoring. The game officially resulted in a tie but the Bearcats and Warriors settled it via shootout with McKendree coming out on top behind freshman forward
Brooklynne Painter's game-winning shot, 2-1.
Staresinic amassed 32 saves in the contest, recording full-time in goal.
SCORING
P1 | #15
Jayna Barnden (8) via #13
Aria Groot (16), #3
Abby Jeffers (8)
UP NEXT
McKendree will play host in its next three contests to finish the first session of play this fall with Adrian (Nov. 10), Michigan (Nov. 12), and Colorado State (Nov. 17) all coming to the Bearcats' home ice.
