Women's Hockey skates to season-opening tie with Hamline

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Hockey team opened the season with a thrilling 1-1 draw against Hamline University Friday night at the Ozaukee Ice Center. The teams traded power play goals midway through the second period, which resulted in the only scoring of the season-opening tilt.

THE BASICS

- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 1, Hamline 1
- Location: Ozaukee Ice Center – Mequon, Wis.
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 0-0-1, Hamline 0-0-1

HOW IT HAPPENED

- The first 20 minutes was a feeling out process for the two teams in their first game action of the season. There was no scoring and zero penalties committed in the first period.

- The second period saw most of the action in terms of penalties, and all of it in terms of scoring, which was started by Hamline. The Pipers struck with 8:45 remaining in the second period when Jessica Goldberg scored a power play goal, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

- Junior Brittany Sticha (Lonsdale, Minn.) scored the Falcons lone goal of the evening, a power play goal 2:15 later to tie the score at 1-1. Sticha won a scramble in front of the net to beat the Pipers goaltender and her goal was assisted by juniors Baylee Darling (Holmen, Wis.) and Brandi Muller (Anchorage, Alaska).

- The second period also saw the teams combine for six penalties, three for each team. The Falcons were also whistled once in the third period, while Hamline committed a pair of third period infractions.

- There was no scoring in the third period or the overtime session, although there were certainly opportunities both ways. Credit sophomore Allison Kurek (Chicago, Ill.) and Hamline goaltender Mary Shefveland for making key saves down the stretch. Kurek finished with 31 saves, while Shefveland tallied 34 for the Pipers.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

- This was the first time since the 2012-13 season which CUW did not gain a win in its first game. The Falcons defeated Finlandia to open the season each of the past two seasons. It was also the second time CUW has gone to overtime in a season-opener, as they fell to Bethel 3-2 in overtime in 2010-11.

- The matchup was also the third time CUW had opened its season against Hamline. The Falcons actually played the first-ever game in program history against the Pipers in the 2007-08 season, falling 3-2. CUW also dropped an 8-1 game against Hamline in 2008-09.

- The goal for Sticha was her 12th in her career. The junior had eight goals last season and three her freshman year.

UP NEXT

- These two teams will finish the season-opening two game series tomorrow with a 3 p.m. start at the Ozaukee Ice Center.