Women's Hockey skates to 4-4 tie against fifth-ranked Adrian

MEQUON, Wis. – When each team was at full strength on Friday night, the Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Hockey team outscored the fifth-ranked Adrian Bulldogs by a 4-0 count. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Adrian used four power-play goals to force a 4-4 tie in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association action at the Ozaukee Ice Center.

The Falcons and Bulldogs each scored once in the opening period and three times in the second, resulting in the tie. CUW never trailed Adrian, a team that has yet to lose a game this season, building a two-goal lead early in the second period. The Adrian power play gave the Falcons fits all nights as they finished 4-for-7. The Bulldogs were 4-for-4 when they had a full two minutes on the power play, but CUW had its most important kill of the game at the end, killing off a penalty committed with 1:30 to go in overtime.

Senior Emily Heckendorf (Merrill, Wis.) and junior Alexis Machuga (Rochester Hills, Mich.) paced the Falcons offensive attack Friday night. Heckendorf had a pair of goals, each in the second period, the second giving her team a 3-1 advantage. It was the sixth time Heckendorf has scored two goals in her career, the most multi-goal games of any player in Falcons history.

Machuga spent most of the second period setting up teammates with opportunities to score, dishing out three assists. She became the first player in Falcons history to record three assists in one period and now has a team-best nine this season.

Following the high-scoring second period, the goaltenders took over after a shaky start for each. The Bulldogs Jade Walsh and the Falcons Bridget Slater entered the game ranked 1-2 in the NCHA in save percentage. Both teams got to the goaltender early, but Walsh and Slater kept their opponents off the scoreboard over the final 25 minutes to help force the tie.

Slater (Roseau, Minn.) saw a lot more action at her end of the ice, recording a career-best 40 saves. She had 12 saves in the third period and stopped all four shots she faced in the fourth. Walsh finished the night with just 17 saves, but did have 11 in the in the third period.

Kelsey Kusch finished the game with four points for the Bulldogs, including scoring the team's final two goals. Logan Taylor added one goal and two assists, while Devyn Fitzhenry and Kristin Lewicki each had two points.

It was CUW who jumped out to an early lead as junior Katherine Pauletti (Roseville, Minn.) scored 2:26 into play off assists from sophomores Brandi Muller (Anchorage, Alaska) and Brittany Sticha (Lonsdale, Minn.). That lead would last until midway through the first when Taylor tied the game for Adrian.

The Falcons again came out rolling in the second period on two goals form Heckendorf scored 2:52 apart. The first was assisted by sophomore Veronika Metanova (Palatine, Ill.) and Machuga, while just Machuga assisted on Heckendorf's second goal.

Adrian would respond with a pair of power play goals, before senior Sammi Reiter (Stillwater, Minn.) gave her team a 4-3 lead with 2:46 to go in the second period, her goal being assisted by Machuga. The Bulldogs would answer, scoring with 37 seconds remaining in the second when Kusch lit the lamp for the second time.

CUW spent a season-high 14 minutes in the penalty box Friday, being whistled for seven infractions. The Bulldogs were penalized four times for eight minutes as the Falcons went 0-for-4 on the power play.

These two teams will meet against tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Ozaukee Ice Center. Live coverage links will be available at CUWFalcons.com.