Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – After a pair of long road trips and a week off in between, No. 2 Midland University was back on its home sheet this weekend as No. 7 McKendree University came into town for a pair of games. The Warriors bested the Bearcats 2-1 on Saturday evening ahead of a 1-1 overtime draw on Sunday afternoon. The results keep Midland unbeaten at 13-0-1 while McKendree’s record drops to 7-4-1 on the season.
SATURDAY: Midland 2, McKendree 1
The Warriors got things started early with a pair of goals in the opening period. With just over three minutes gone by, Grace Page found the back of the net off a feed from Ally Rakowski and Kamryn Hayhurst. Exactly four minutes later, Karenna Grothmann fired a laser shot from the top of the slot to make it 2-0 with 12:25 to go in the first period.
After a scoreless second frame where the defenses tightened, the teams played 18 minutes of scoreless hockey in the third before McKendree broke through. With left 1:47 in the game, the Bearcats capitalized on a powerplay chance to cut the lead in half. Midland’s defense clamped back down after allowing the goal and they took the weekend opener, 2-1.
Hannah Stone picked up the win in goal, collecting 18 saves on the day. The Warriors had a slim advantage in shots on net, 23 to 19.
SUNDAY: Midland 1, McKendree 1
Coming off a defensive finish on Saturday, the teams continued the trend on Sunday afternoon. Nearing the midway point of the first, Midland was able to take advantage of a powerplay chance. At the 9:13 mark, Ally Rakowski poked home a rebound to put the Warriors up. Jenna Grosdidier and Kayla Flanigan picked up the assists on the score.
As the period was winding down, Midland was whistled for a tripping penalty in the final two minutes. McKendree pounced on the opportunity, netting the equalizing goal 32 seconds before the intermission.
In the second, both teams were kept in check with the Warriors outshooting the Bearcats, 13 to 6. The scoreless script played out again in the third, although McKendree got two more chances than Midland, 7 to 5.
With the game tied at 1-1 after 60 minutes of play, the teams took the ice for a five-minute overtime period. Playing three-on-three led to an uptick in shots but both goalies held their ground. The game ended in a tie, 1-1.
Hannah Stone went 65 minutes in net, collecting 32 saves on the afternoon. Midland held a slight edge in shots on target at 33 to 25.
Midland (13-0-1, 8-0-1 WMCH) will be on the road next weekend as it travels to take on Minot State (5-7, 2-4 WMCH) for a pair of league games. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, November 10 and 11, at Maysa Arena in Minot, North Dakota. Earlier this year, the Warriors took a pair of games against Beavers in Fremont, 3-1 and 4-0.
