O'FALLON, Ill. | McKendree Metro Rec Plex - The 2025-26 season kicked off for McKendree University women's hockey (1-0-0) on Friday evening with a dominant 5-1 victory over the Miami (OH) RedHawks. The Bearcats fired two goals in the first period, two in the second, and one in the third with all five coming from different skaters. McKendree hits the road for a lengthy road trip out to North Dakota to face off against Jamestown and Minot State in two games each on October 2-5. 

The Bearcats dominated the contest from the start to open their season, totaling 14 shots in the first period of the night and breaking through with the first goal in the ninth minute. Senior forward Jayna Barnden started things off for her squad, getting the dish outs from senior forward Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe and sophomore forward Kendra Shumaker. In the latter minutes of the first period, senior forward Janaya Laqua added the second score and eventual game-winner for McKendree as freshman forward Oliva Imperato tallied her first collegiate point with the assist along with Gorgevska-Sharpe. McKendree held a 2-0 advantage going into teh first intermission stretch. 

The second period saw Miami (OH) get one back in the eighth minute, making it a 2-1 game, still in favor of the Bearcats. Nine minutes into the second period, the Bearcats pushed back with a third goal of the night as Shumaker scored her first of the year with senior defense Lilia Brown and junior forward Abby Jeffers adding assists. The Bearcats then fired their fourth score of the day in the 12th minute as Gorgevska-Sharpe provided her third point of the game with a goal. Senior forward Kerstyn Barron and freshman forward Klaire Essex assisted on the play, marking Barron's first point of the year and Essex's first collegiate point. McKendree held its lead at 4-1 over the RedHawks, out-shooting the adversary 26-12. 

The third period found McKendree staying on the attack while fending off all advances from Miami, including a fourth-minute goal by graduate forward Brittney Kambeitz to pusht he lead to four scores at 5-1 for the Bearcats. Kambeitz's goal was assisted on by graduate defense Ashley Hayley and senior forward Janaya Laqua.

The game concluded with the Bearcats taking their opener, 5-1, with senior goaltender Rachel Staresinic collecting the win with 12 saves. 

GOALS
P1 | #15 Jayna Barnden via #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe, #21 Kendra Shumaker
P1 | #14 Janaya Laqua via #13 Olivia Imperato, #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe
P2 | #21 Kendra Shumaker via #73 Lilia Brown, #3 Abby Jeffers
P2 | #7 Larisa Gorgevska-Sharpe via #22 Kerstyn Barron, #93 Klaire Essex
P3 | #11 Brittney Kambeitz via #24 Ashley Hayley, #14 Janaya Laqua

UP NEXT
Oct. 2 | 7:00PM at Jamestown | Jamestown, North Dakota
Oct. 3 | 3:00PM at Jamestown | Jamestown, North Dakota
Oct. 4 | 3:45PM at Minot State | Minot, North Dakota
Oct. 5 | 12:00PM at Minot State | Minot, North Dakota

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