Slater posts shutout as Women's Hockey downs defending NCHA champs

MEQUON, Wis. – Sophomore Bridget Slater posted her second shutout in just her third start this season in leading the Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Hockey team to a shutout win over defending NCHA-champion Lake Forest College Saturday night.

The Falcons win earned them a weekend split with Lake Forest in the first annual "Border Battle." Since the two teams each captured a game during the weekend, a shootout occurred to determine who would capture the "Border Battle Trophy." Lake Forest scored twice in the shootout compared to one for the Falcons, which was tallied by sophomore Brandi Muller (Anchorage, Alaska) to capture the trophy.

The more important result of the night, however, was the two points CUW picked up in the NCHA standings over the defending league champions. Slater (Roseau, Minn.) was outstanding from drop of the first puck, stopping all 33 shots she faced. Perhaps the biggest moment of the night was when she recorded save after save in helping kill of a 5-on-3 Lake Forest power play midway through the second period with CUW leading by just one goal.

For the game CUW killed off all four LFC power plays. The Falcons themselves scored one 1-of-3 tries with the advantage. The CUW power play goal came on a rebound from sophomore Brittany Sticha (Lonsdale, Minn.), which put them up 2-0 7:21 into the third period.

The Falcons went up 1-0 Saturday night when sophomore Veronika Metanova (Palatine, Ill.) struck a deflection goal. Senior captain Elizabeth Otto (Stillwater, Minn.) sent a shot in and Metanova was there to redirect it to give CUW the 1-0 edge.

The lead would hold until Sticha put the Falcons up 2-0 on assists from juniors Katherine Pauletti (Roseville, Minn.) and Hannah Zobel (Reedsburg, Wis.). The Falcons would complete the game with an empty net goal scored late in the third off the stick of Lexi Holman (Cold Spring, Minn.) Juniors Jenna Brown (Roseville, Minn.) and Chelsea Regan (Oakdale, Minn.) had assists on the final goal.

The Foresters had a decisive 33-22 edge in shots, but Slater was ultimately the difference in moving CUW to a 3-1-0 record in conference play. The Falcons sit in third in the conference, behind just St. Scholastica, a team who has skated in two more league games than CUW, and Adrian College.

The game also concluded the Falcons Hockey team's "Pink in the Rink" event. Both the Men's and Women's programs partnered with Angel on my Shoulder to help with the fight against Breast Cancer. The Falcons wore pink jerseys in the game, which appears to help lead to a CUW win as they are 3-0-0 in pink uniforms over the last two seasons.

CUW will return to the ice next Friday when they visit Marian University in an NCHA road tilt. The contest between the Falcons and Sabres is set for a 7 p.m. start.