Warriors Drop Pair of One-Goal Games After Long Break

FREMONT, Neb. – After a layoff of nearly 100 days, Midland University’s women’s hockey team took to the ice for a two-game series with Lindenwood University over the weekend. The Warriors’ last game coming into the New Year was back on October 11 at North Dakota State. Postponement ensued after that win until the calendar flipped to 2021. The rust was evident at times during the weekend games as they fell 3-2 on Saturday and then lost a heartbreaker 2-1 in overtime on Sunday.
The Lions took a quick 1-0 lead in the first period of the opener, scoring in the first five minutes of action on a power-play chance. They would add an even-strength goal midway through the second to take the 2-0 lead into the second intermission.
After the break, the Warriors’ offense got things going. They found a hole in the Lions’ defense just 2:32 into the final period as Ally Rakowski scored off an assist from Jocelyn Hareland and Savannah Wright.
Midland would pull even just before the mid-point of the period as Kayla Flannigan registered her fifth goal of the season, on the Warriors’ power play. Katie Stelling and Maggie Marcotte picked up the assists on the score to even the game.
With time winding down in the game and an overtime period looming, the Lions ended the chance for bonus hockey as they found the back of the net with 15.5 seconds remaining for their third win of the season and in their program’s history.
Sunday afternoon saw another great battle between the two teams. Alicia Williams and the Warriors came out aggressive early and it paid off with a first-minute goal. Fifteen-seconds after the opening puck drop Williams fired the puck past the Lions’ keeper off a pass from Flanigan to stake the Warriors to a 1-0 lead. They would hold that one-goal lead for roughly the next 40 minutes as neither team scored the rest of the first and the entirety of the second period.
In the third period, the Lions’ found a surge of lightning as they scored in the first minute of the period. Despite being down a skater from a penalty at the end of the second, they scored one past the Warriors’ to pull even.
The teams would tighten their defenses up the remainder of regulation, sending the game to a 3-on-3 overtime period. In the extra time, Lindenwood once again bit the Warriors’ victory chances as they found the game-ending goal 1:49 in.
Hannah Stone started and played every minute in goal for Midland and was saddled with the two close losses. She had 30 saves on Saturday and added 38 more on Sunday.
Midland (4-2) will be back in action this upcoming weekend when they take on Minot State (3-1). Puck drop is set for 5:00 p.m. on Friday and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday at Sidner Ice Arena in Fremont.