University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Athletics

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Emily Lester (Eau Claire, WI/Memorial) scored the game-winning goal with 8:30 remaining to give the No. 8 UW-Stevens Point women's hockey team home-ice advantage in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship Semifinals, as the Pointers topped UW-Superior 4-3 on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Ice Hawks Arena.

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Lester's game-winner was her team-high 13th goal of the season, her third game-winner, and was assisted by Shauna Bollinger (Menomonie, WI/Menomonie) and Megan Menotti (Vernon Hills, IL/Chicago Mission). UW-Stevens Point (16-7-2, 6-4-2 WIAC) played down three skaters for much of the final 54 seconds but survived the final push by UW-Superior (15-9-0, 5-7-0 WIAC).

Entering the game, the Pointers and Yellowjackets were already locked into a semifinal series and UWSP needed a tie to earn home-ice advantage and the second seed. With home ice on the line, the teams alternated scoring the game's seven goals.

UW-Stevens Point led 2-1 after one period on goals by Bollinger, on the power play, and Hannah Smith (Spokane, WA/East Valley). Smith's goal came just 50 seconds after Haley Olmstead had tied the score at 1-1 for the Yellowjackets.

UW-Superior tied the score for the second time in the game at 16:10 of the second period with a power-play goal by Dani Schultz. The Pointers reclaimed the lead with 42 seconds left in the second when Betsy Anderson (Farmington, MN/Farmington) scored 13 seconds after Janna Beilke-Skoug (Madison, WI/East) stopped an Olmstead penalty shot.

The Yellowjackets scored their third game-tying goal of the afternoon when Olmstead found the back of the net for the second time in the game at 10:11 of the third period.

UW-Stevens Point outshot UW-Superior 30-24 in the game. Megan Leikkari stopp 26 shots for the Pointers, while Beilke-Skoug turned aside 21 UWS shots in the win.

Second-seeded UW-Stevens Point will host third-seeded UW-Superior in the semifinals of the WIAC Championship on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28 at Ice Hawks Arena. Game time is 7 p.m. on Friday night. Top-seeded UW-River Falls will host fourth-seeded UW-Eau Claire in the other semifinal series.