O'Fallon, Ill. | McKendree Metro Rec Plex - No.2 McKendree University women's hockey (12-2-0, 5-1-0 WMCH) took all three home games on the weekend, defeating Jamestown in a pair of contests with 4-0 and 4-2 finals while also dousing the Sun Devils of Arizona State, 3-2. The Bearcats closed out the month of October with an 8-1-0 record behind the 3-0-0 weekend finish. McKendree gets a quick weekend off before returning to action at the Rec Plex on November 7, 8, and 9, hosting Minnesota, Midland, and Minot State.

Game 1 vs Jamestown | W, 4-0
The Bearcats sprinted to begin the weekend slate, going up 2-0 in the first period behind scores by junior forward Janaya Laqua and senior defense Aria Groot. Laqua put McKendree up 1-0 in the 15th minute with assists going out to senior forward Brittney Kambeitz and junior defense Julia Defosse. In the 17th minute, Groot then added the first insurance goal of the day during a Bearcat power play as sophomore forward Abby Jeffers dished out the helper. McKendree led 2-0 going into the first intermission.

The Bearcats did not let up in the second period as Laqua fired her second of the day off an assist by Groot in the 10th minute. Only a few moments after the third goal fo the game, McKendree found the back of the net again with freshman forward Kendra Shumaker scoring behind a dish off by senior forward Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe. McKendree held its 4-0 lead through the end fo the second and through the entire third period to take the game. 

Junior goaltender Rachel Staresinic tallied the shutout victory with 12 saves. 

Scoring
P1 | #14 Janaya Laqua (2) via #11 Brittney Kambeitz (2), #91 Julia Defosse (3)
P1 | #13 Aria Groot (5) via #3 Abby Jeffers (9)
P2 | #14 Janaya Laqua (3) via #13 Aria Groot (7)
P2 | #21 Kendra Shumaker (3) via #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe (5)

Game 2 vs. Jamestown | W, 4-2
McKendree looked to continue its aggressive stance in the second game of the weekend and pushed through to sweep the Jimmies. The Bearcats took the lead in the fourth minute of the game as Laqua fired her third score fo the weekend with Groot assisting on the goal. McKendree led 1-0 at the end of the period. 

The second period saw McKendree add a pair of goal with Jamestown firing two of their own. Senior forward Kiley Hasenfratz scored a power play goal in the 14th minute to push the lead to 2-0 with Groot and junior forward Jayna Barnden dishing out assists on the goal. Jamestown cut the lead to just one score in the opening seconds of the 16th minute. Following up on the Jimmies goal was senior forward Isobelle Hobbs, who got on a breakout during a shorthanded penalty kill scenario and fired it into the back of the net with Kambeitz getting the assist. McKendree led 3-2 following the period with Jamestown putting up a goal in the 18th minute. 

In the third period, freshman forward Alexandra Binning scored in the third minute off dish outs by Hasenfratz and Groot, putting the Bearcats up two goals at 4-2. McKendree held on for the win with freshman goaltender Makenna Collins grabbing the victory in net with 14 saves.

Scoring
P1 | #14 Janaya Laqua (4) via #13 Aria Groot (8)
P2 | #96 Kiley Hasenfratz (7) via #13 Aria Groot (9), #15 Jayna Barnden (5)
P2 | #2 Isobelle Hobbs (4) via #11 Brittney Kambeitz (3)
P3 | #28 Alexandra Binning (2) via #96 Kiley Hasenfratz (2), #13 Aria Groot (10)

Game 3 vs. Arizona State | W, 3-2
The Bearcats entered Sunday searching to close up the month with a win, battling the Sun Devils to accomplish just that. McKendree and ASU left the first period knotted at zero goals each but in the second minute of the second period, the Bearcats broke through. Jeffers fired her second goal of the year during a power play with assists coming from Hasenfratz and Barnden. ASU managed to tie it up in the seventh, keeping the game knotted to end the period at 1-1. In the first minute of the third period, Jeffers found the back of the net again as Barnden and senior forward Kerstyn Barron dished out helpers on the play, putting McKendree up 2-1. Groot then fired her sixth goal of the campaign in the fourth minute on an unassisted score, which gave the Bearcats a two-goal advantage at 3-1. 

ASU fired one more in the 11th but McKendree fought off the Sun Devils to get the victory and stay undefeated on the weekend and on its home ice. Staresinic captured her second win of the weekend behind 10 saves against ASU.

Scoring
P2 | #3 Abby Jeffers (2) via #96 Kiley Hasenfratz (3), #15 Jayna Barnden (6)
P3 | #3 Abby Jeffers (3) via #22 Kerstyn Barron (5), #15 Jayna Barnden (7)
P3 | #13 Aria Groot (6), unassisted