Pointers Prevail Over Women's Hockey

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's hockey team fell to UW-Stevens Point, 2-3, on Tuesday night. With the loss, the Falcons now sit at 3-2 on the season.

CUW took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, with both goals coming in the final minutes of the opening period. 

The first goal came at 6:02 when sophomore Mackaylan McGown (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) pounced on a loose puck after a scrum in front of the net. McGown, positioned at the left side of the goal, batted the puck in, assisted by freshman Taylor Hleniak (Mercer, Wis.) and senior Brooke Gibson (LaSalle, Ont.).

The Falcons' second goal came just before the break when sophomore Brenna-Grace Dittmer (Chatham-Kent, Ont.) found the back of the net with a well-placed shot. Freshman Sophia Whiteaker (Normal, Ill.) and senior Megan Vettraino (Howell, Mich.) earned the assists on the play, with Whiteaker picking up her first collegiate point.

However, UW-Stevens Point came out strong in the second period after the intermission, scoring a single goal to cut CUW's lead to 2-1. 

Despite several chances, the Falcons were unable to increase their lead in the third period, and the Pointers capitalized with two goals in the final 20 minutes to claim a 3-2 victory.

Gibson led the Falcons with eight shots on goal, while junior Makayla Spejcher (Green Bay, Wis.) added seven. 

As a team, CUW outshot the Pointers 42-36. 

In the faceoff circle, McGown performed well, winning 14 of her 23 draws.

Freshman goaltender Gretchen Paaveurd (Ramsey, Minn.) made an impressive 36 saves in her first collegiate start, finishing with a .917 save percentage.

The Falcons will look to bounce back when they resume Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play on Friday against MSOE.