GRAND FORKS, N.D. --- The University of North Dakota women's hockey team was able to hang on for a 5-4 win over Western Collegiate Hockey Association foe Ohio State tonight at the Ralph Englestad Arena as eight different Sioux collected a point improving to 3-4-1 (3-4-1-0 WCHA).
Sophomores Sara Dagenais (Montreal, Quebec), Alyssa Wiebe (2/Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), and Kelsey Ketcher (Mound, Minn.) along with freshman Ashley Furia (Sedalia, Colo.) scored goals for the Sioux.
The high-octane offense for the Buckeyes (4-4-1, 4-4-1-0 WCHA) didn't take long to get on the board as Natalie Spooner skated from her own end of the ice and fired a wrist shot past UND backstop Stephanie Ney (100 Mile House, British Columbia) only 2:38 into the game on the Buckeyes first shot on goal.
OSU would get another opportunity to add to its early lead as Ashley Holmes (Miltona, Minn.) was called for tripping at 3:58 for the games first penalty, but the Sioux weathered the early storm and with the momentum gained from the early successful penalty kill Dagenais scored to even the game at 6:17. She trailed Furia on a 2-on-1 opportunity and was able to redirect a pass across the slot off her skate and into the net. The goal went under a lengthy review but was upheld.
Jordan Slavin (Erie, Colo) was called for checking at 7:21 for the second penalty for the Sioux and of the game and Spooner nearly tallied another mark with a wrister that went off the crossbar, but the Sioux were able to turn it the other direction and Wiebe gave the Sioux their first lead of the game on the breakaway. Wiebe was able to score the short-hander as she brought it into the zone to the right of goaltender Chelsea Knapp and put a shot short-side that went off the pipe and then deflecting off Knapp into the net.
The Buckeyes would open the second stanza with a goal from Teal Bishop at 5:25 but the Sioux would answer again as Slavin would shoot a slap shot from near the blue line that went wide of the net but Furia but both Dagenais and Furia would combine to find the rebound and slide it in past Knapp.
Wiebe would add her team-leading fourth goal of the season on 58-seconds later for a two-goal lead entering the second intermission as she redirected a shot from Candace Molle (Anchorage, Alaska). The Buckeyes were trying to clear the zone from the near boards but Molle was able to intercept the attempt, skate toward the middle of the ice and let loose a slapshot that Wiebe got a piece of. The goal was the fourth for the Sioux on only their seventh shot on goal.
Trailing 4-2 in the late parts of the second period, Laura McIntosh was able to cut the lead to one at 16:01. In a weird bit of play McIntosh put a wrist shot top-shelf past Ney in the corner of the net glove side but it was originally ruled not a goal off the post. As McIntosh and three of the other four Buckeyes on the ice were celebrating Sioux defender Ashley Holmes (Miltona, Minn.) skated the puck up the ice on a breakaway and was halled down for a tripping call. The play was reviewed and this time changed to a Buckeye goal.
Raelyn LaRocque evened the game with her first goal of the season only 3:50 of the third period, but once again the Sioux had an answer as Ketcher would notch her first collegiate goal and eventual game winner. Ketcher would find a rebound off a shot by Kelly Lewis, put a shot on net, find her on rebound and skate around the back of the net to slide it in at 8:47.
The Buckeyes would get a golden opportunity with 32 seconds remaining as Wiebe was sent to the penalty box for tripping and they would pull their goaltender for a two-skater advantage. The Sioux would prevail though as they were able to dump the puck.
Both teams went unsuccessful in power-play attempts as the Sioux held the Buckeyes 0-for-6 but went 0-for-3 themselves. Ney was the games winning goaltender making 29 saves on 33 shots, while Knapp picked up the loss with 14 saves on 19 shots.
The Sioux return to action in the series finale tomorrow at the Ralph Englestad Arena with a 4:07 opening face off.
