STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Trailing 5-2 in the final minute of the second period, the eighth-ranked UW-Stevens Point women's hockey team staged a thrilling comeback, scoring the final five goals of the game to top Lake Forest 7-5 on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Memorial Arena.
Box ScoreLaura Reckdenwald's second goal of the game gave Lake Forest (8-5-2) a 5-2 lead with 2:01 remaining in the second period. However, UW-Stevens Point (12-5-1) fought back with goals from five different players to earn a weekend split, as the teams combined for 19 goals in the two-game series.
Rachel Reynard (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) started the comeback before the second period was over, drawing UWSP within two in the final minute. The Pointers then scored four unanswered goals in the third period, as
Emily Lester (Eau Claire, WI/Memorial),
Ali Biagini (Stillwater, MN/Stillwater),
Meredith Ingbretson (Hayward, WI/Hayward) and
Betsy Anderson (Farmington, MN/Farmington) all found the back of the net.
Lester scored her second goal of the night early in the third period off an assist from Biagini, before the freshman scored a power-play goal of her own to tie the score at 5-5 at the 8:03 mark of the final period.
Ingbretson tallied the game-winning goal, her eighth point in eight games, at 12:39 of the third period.
Ellie Punnett (Hailey, ID/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame) and
Shauna Bollinger (Menomonie, WI/Menomonie) were credited with assists on the winning goal.
Betsy Anderson (Farmington, MN/Farmington) added a shorthanded, empty-net goal in the final 30 seconds to cap the scoring.
Lester matched her career high with four points on two goals and two assists, while Biagini tallied a goal and two assists.
Lake Forest got out to a 3-2 lead after the first period behind a pair of shorthanded goals and a power-play goal by Reckdenwald.
Shauna Bollinger (Menomonie, WI/Menomonie) scored on the power play and Lester added her first goal of the night in the final five minutes of the first for UWSP.
UW-Stevens Point outshot Lake Forest 44-26 in the game, including 13-4 in the third period.
Janna Beilke-Skoug (Madison, WI/East) made 16 saves in 37:59 in net before being replaced by
Lisa Fowle (Wausau, WI/Wausau West), who made five saves and picked up the win in her first collegiate appearance.
Casey Hartfiel gave up two goals in the first period and made 12 saves for the Foresters. Allie Carter replaced Hartfiel and made 25 stops over the final two periods but took the loss.
UWSP was 2-for-6 on the power play in the game, while Lake Forest was 2-for-4.
