FOND DU LAC, Wis. – With five minutes remaining in regulation the Concordia University Wisconsin Women's Hockey team faced a 3-1 deficit Saturday night in a NCHA tilt at Marian. Rather than settling for a conference loss, the Falcons stormed back scoring twice in the final 4:21 to force overtime and winning the game 2:16 into the extra session on a score from sophomore Lexi Holman. The win was the third straight for the Falcons and kept them alive in the race for the final spot in the Slaats Cup Playoffs.
THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 4, Marian 3 (F/OT)
- Location: Blue Line Family Ice Center – Fond du Lac, Wis.
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 8-13-1, 6-10-0 NCHA; Marian 6-14-0, 3-10-0 NCHA
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With the Falcons down 3-1, senior Jayda Hoerres (Melrose, Wis.) started the rally with her third goal of the season with 4:21 to play. Sophomore Chloe Bachman (St. Peter, Minn.) picked up her first career collegiate point on the play with an assist, while senior Lexi Machuga (Rochester Hills, Mich.) added an assist on the play as well.
- Still trailing 3-2, head coach Steve Fabiilli pulled his goaltender for the extra attacker down the stretch and it paid off as freshman Ellie Woodman (Janesville, Wis.) netted her first career collegiate goal to tie the game at three with 40 seconds remaining. Holman and senior Katherine Pauletti (Roseville, Minn.) assisted on the play.
- With the momentum on their side, the Falcons struck 2:16 into overtime as Holman (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) recorded her team-leading 12th goal of the season. The game-winner was assisted by Machuga and senior Chelsea Regan (Oakdale, Minn.). The game-winner was scored 17 seconds into a power play, the Falcons only power play score on four chances.
- Senior Nina Puch (Des Plaines, Ill.) had the first Falcons goal of the night, which gave her team a 1-0 lead 2:42 into the second period. Freshman Kristen Kennedy (London, Ontario) and junior Brandi Muller (Anchorage, Alaska) assisted on the Puch score.
- Marian picked up three straight goals after the Puch goal to go up 3-1. The final of those came midway through the third period, a shorthanded score by Courtney Wittig.
- Freshman Christina Pattengale (Portage, Mich.) gained her sixth win of the season by stopping 24 shots. The Falcons finished the game with a 34-27 edge in the shots department.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Holman continued her program-record points streak with the two-point effort. She has now scored in 14 straight games and has 27 points on the season. Holman sits tied for third all-time for points in a season for the Falcons. Sarah Luberda holds that record, with 32 points in 2010-11.
- Machuga's two assists brought her career point total to 61, which is sixth all-time in Falcons history. She also ranks fourth on the CUW list with 41 assists and is one assist shy of tying Jaime Athens for third all-time.
- Hoerres now has three goals on the season, which is a career-best for the senior.
UP NEXT
- The Falcons will host St. Scholastica in a crucial NCHA series next weekend. CUW currently holds a one-point lead on the Saints for the fourth and final spot in the Slaats Cup Playoffs. The Falcons have played two more NCHA games than the Saints, and CSS ends the season with winless Finlandia, meaning the Falcons will need a sweep next weekend. The opener of the two-game set is set for 7 p.m. Friday night at the Ozaukee Ice Center.
