RIVER FALLS – The 10^th-ranked UW-Stevens Pont women's hockey team suffered a 5-3 loss on Friday evening at the hands of the second-ranked Falcons of UW-River Falls in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) action at Hunt Arena. 

The loss is just the third of the season for the Pointers, who have now dropped back-to-back regular season games for the first time since Jan. 29, 2010. 

River Falls kicked the scoring off just 24 seconds in and tacked on a power play goal with 1:30 remaining in the first to take a 2-0 lead after the first period. 

The Pointer offense jump-started in the second when Dana Carothers (Burnsville, MN/Burnsville) tallied her third goal of the season on the power play, cutting the deficit to just one, 2-1. 

In the third, the Pointers tied the game at 2-2 with a goal by Sarah Dusold (Shoreview, MN/Irondale), assisted by Carothers, just 30 seconds into the third. 

The Falcons answered with back-to-back goals at the 4:00 and 5:15 minute marks of the third to retake the lead and go ahead by one, 4-2. 

Michelle Lunneborg (Richfield, MN/Richfield) tallied her fifth goal of the season at the 14:16 mark to once again cut the deficit to one but a power play goal at the 16:46 mark to pull back in front by two and hold on for the 5-3 victory.

Staci Pomering (Roscoe, IL/Hononegah) suffered the loss for the Pointers, notching 40 saves on the evening. UW-River Falls' Cassi Campbell notched the victory with 16 saves. 

UW-Stevens Point (8-3-0, 4-3-0 NCHA) and River Falls (11-0-0, 7-0-0 NCHA) return to the ice at Hunt Arena Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.