CHESTERFIELD, Mo. | Maryville University Hockey Center - No.5 McKendree University women's hockey (20-6, 8-4 WMCH) closed out a highly-competitive weekend of top-five matchups with a victory on Sunday over the Saints across town at MUHC, 3-1. The Bearcats finished the weekend 1-2 overall with a faulter against top-ranked Liberty on Friday afternoon, 2-1, and fell to the Saints at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex on Saturday, 3-2, in overtime. The win over the Saints put the 2024-25 series between the rivals at 2-2.


Friday vs. Liberty | L, 1-2
The Bearcats welcomed the top-ranked Flames to the Rec Plex for an afternoon matinee, looking to continue an extremely strong season. After going down in the first period, McKendreeknotted the game late in the second period as junior forward Jayna Barnden fired her 12th goal of the campaign. The power play score was assisted on by a pair of senior forwards in Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe and Kiley Hasnefratz. McKendree, which vastly out-shot Liberty over the first two periods, kept the contest tied up as the game went into the second intermission.

The third period saw a back-and-forth battle continue, with the Flames finding the net with just under 13 minutes remaining. The Bearcats had a trio of penalties against them, as the squad mustered just two shots in the final period. McKendree was unable to fire the equalizer, as it fell to No.1 Liberty, 2-1. Junior goaltender Rachel Staresinic collected 16 saves in the effort in net.

Scoring
P2 | #15 Jayna Barnden (12) via #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe (11), #96 Kiley Hasenfratz (7)

Saturday vs. Maryville | L, 2-3 OT
An overly familiar foe visited the Rec Plex for game two of the weekend as No.3 Maryville made the cross-town trip on Saturday with the Bearcats poised to take a season series lead over the Saints. The battle for STL supremacy resumed as normal with the two quads going back and forth throughout the contest. Maryville struck first, just six minutes into the game but the Bearcats came roaring back to tie the game in the latter minutes of the first period. Sophomore defense Allison Hoschka scored her third of the year to tie it up as senior defense Aria Groot and sophomore forward Abby Jeffers both assisted on the play.

In the second period, the Bearcats took a 2-1 lead over the Saints as sophomore forward Julia Koski found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the campaign. Hasenfratz dished out the assist on the goal. The third and OT periods saw the Saints put up two total goals to capture the win over McKendree. Staresinic collected 19 saves in the contest. 

Scoring
P1 | #23 Allison Hoschka (3) via #13 Aria Groot (19), #3 Abigail Jeffers (10)
P2 | #40 Julia Koski (4) via #96 Kiley Hasenfratz (8)

Sunday @ Maryville | W, 3-1
In the weekend finale, the Bearcats headed across St. Louis to face the Saints again and fought to end the three-game stretch on a winning note. McKendree jumped on the opportunity as freshman forward Alexandra Binning fired an unassisted score just 17 seconds into the game. Maryville managed to knot up the contest half way through the opening period on a power play. 

McKendree fired away in the second period with two power play goals, first from Barnden with her 13th score of the season and the the eventual game-winner off an assist by Hoschka. In the closing minutes of the second period, Hasenfratz scored her 11th of the season, helping lock up the game. Groot sent out the helper on Hasenfratz's goal, her 20th assist of the season. 

Staresinic got the victory in goal with 27 saves in her effort.