Strong second period finish secures comeback win for Women's Hockey

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Three goals in the final 3:08 of the second period secured a 4-3 win for the Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Hockey team Saturday against Hamline. The Falcons trailed 3-1 late in the second, but the three-goal flurry allowed them to leave Minnesota with a season-opening split against the Pipers.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 4, Hamline 3
- Location: Oscar Johnson Arena – St. Paul, Minnesota
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 1-1-0; Hamline 1-1-0

HOW IT HAPPENED
- Senior Nicole Krumwiede (Itasca, Ill.) started the flurry for the Falcons with a power play goal with 3:08 remaining in the second. Freshman Natasha Wanless (Madison, Wis.), who scored a first-period goal for CUW, assisted on Krumwiede's first tally of the season.

- Exactly two minutes later it was senior Veronika Metanova (Palatine, Ill.) who lit the lamp to tie the contest at 3-3. Junior captain Lexi Holman (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) set up Metanova's first goal of 2016-17.

- Senior Brandi Muller (Anchorage, Alaska) recorded the game-winning goal just 32 seconds later, capping off the incredible surge in the second. Metanova assisted on the Muller game-winning score.

- CUW didn't sit back in the third, and while the Falcons didn't score either, they did finish with an 11-5 edge in shots to help maintain the one-goal lead. Sophomore Christina Pattengale (Portage, Mich.) stopped all five of the shots she faced to help secure the one-goal win for the Falcons.

- Hamline took the two-goal lead thanks to a pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes of the second stanza. Brede Postier scored 2:11 into the frame, while Bre Simon gave the host Pipers a 3-1 lead near the midway point of the second.

- The first period saw each team score once, both goals coming in the first five minutes. Hamline went up 1-0 on Postier's first goal of the game, while Wanless' first career collegiate goal tied things at one apiece. The Falcons only had two shots in the opening 20 minutes, but Wanless made hers count.

- Pattengale finished the game with 24 saves to pick up her first win of the season. Twelve of those saves came in the second, a period in which CUW was outshot 14-7.

- The Falcons had an edge in special teams on Saturday as they converted 1-of-3 on the power play, while keeping Hamline off the board the only time they were shorthanded.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Metanova is now tied for sixth on the Falcons all-time points list with 61 in her career. She ties last year's captain Lexi Machuga after her two-point effort Saturday.

- The game-winning goal was the third of Muller's career. She is now tied for fifth in CUW history in game-winning scores.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will play their home and NCHA opener Tuesday night at the Ozaukee Ice Center. CUW will welcome St. Norbert in for a 7 p.m. puck drop.