JAMESTOWN, N.D. | WIlson Arena - McKendree University women's hockey (3-0-0, 2-0-0 WMCH) began conference play this week with the first two battles coming against Jamestown on Thursday and Friday, dominating the league-opening games with 2-0 and 4-0 shutout victories. The shutouts came as career firsts for two Bearcat goaltenders in freshman Kasia Rakowski in the Thursday win and sophomore Makenna Collins in the Friday victory. The latter stretch of the lengthy roadtrip out to North Dakota features two games against Minot State on October 4-5 at Maysa Arena in Minot, North Dakota. 

Game 1 @ Jamestown | W, 2-0
McKendree kicked off conference play with a long road trip to North Dakota, first battling the Jimmies and started off quick. The Bearcats took a lead in the first period after blasting 11 shots at the host, breaking through in the eighth minute as sophomore forward Alexandra Binning scored her first of the campaign on an unassisted play. The first period closed down with a 1-0 advantage to the Bearcats. The second period saw eight shots from both teams with neither budging, as McKendree held its 1-0 advantage into the second intermission period.

In the final period of the conference-opener, McKendree kept its attacks going with the insurance score coming in the 15th minute as Binning broke through for another unassisted score to push the contest to a 2-0 lead. The Bearcats held out for a 2-0 shutout victory with freshman Kasia Rakowski collecting her first collegiate start, win, and shutout in net with 23 saves.

SCORING
P1 | #28 Alexandra Binning (1), unassisted
P3 | #28 Alexandra Binning (2), unassisted

Game 2 @ Jamestown | W, 4-0
The second bout against Jamestown saw the Bearcats turn up the pressure, scoring again the first period with freshman forward Olivia Imperato scoring her first collegiate goal in the 16th minute of action. Imperato's goal proved to be the game-winner with the assist going out to graduate defense Ashley Hayley. The first period went to intermission with the 1-0 advantage in favor of the Bearcats. The second period came and went with no scoring as McKendree fired eight shots while holding Jamestown to just three. 

The third period arrived with McKendree looking to add to its lead to secure a third-straight win and the Bearcats broke through in the sixth minute with graduate forward Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe scoring her second of the year for the 2-0 lead. The goal by Gorgevska-Sharpe was assisted on by freshman forward Klaire Essex and senior defense Julia Defosse. McKendree added another insurance score in the 10th minute with graduate forward Brittney Kambeitz firing her second of the year to make it a 3-0 advantage. The fourth nd final goal of the day was fired in the 19th minute for the Bearcats as junior defense Allison Hoschka scored her first of the season with the dish outs coming from Gorgevska-Sharpe and Imperato. 

Sophomore goaltender Makenna Collins earned her first collegiate shutout in the victory with 15 saves in the contest. 

SCORING
P1 | #13 Olivia Imperato (1) via #24 Ashley Hayley (2)
P3 | #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe (2) via #93 Klaire Essex (2), #91 Julia Defosse (1)
P3 | #11 Brittney Kambeitz (2), unassisted
P3 | #23 Allison Hoschka (1) via #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe (3), #13 Olivia Imperato (2)

UP NEXT
Oct. 4-5 | 3:45PM, 1:00PM @ Minot State | Maysa Arena - Minot, North Dakota

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