Box Score

The UWRF women's hockey team skated to a 1-1 tie with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers thanks to a late third period goal from Falcons freshman forward Dani Sibley.
 
The Falcons earned three points in the weekend series with UW-Stevens Point, pushing their WIAC record to 4-2-2. The Falcons had numerous overtime chances to send the Pointers home empty handed but settled for a tie, despite outshooting UW-Stevens Point 7-1 in the extra frame.
 
The first period ended scoreless but the Falcons outshot the Pointers, 10-5. Two first period power plays for UWRF led to multiple opportunities but bared no fruit. Pointers junior goaltender Janna Beilke-Skoug (10-4-1) kept the Pointers in the contest making five saves on the power plays. The Pointers blocked seven first period shots.
 
Falcons senior goaltender Ashley Kuechle (10-2-2) was not required to make more than five saves, but two of them came from in-tight as Pointers senior forward Cassandra Salmen slapped two shots from the side of the net, requiring Kuechle's immediate attention.
 
The period got off to a fast start as Sibley had a good backhand chance from the top of the crease get stopped by the stick of Beilke-Skoug.
 
Falcons junior defenseman Allie Olson had two of the better chances in the first period as two of her shots from the point nearly found mesh. One of her shots slipped between Beilke-Skoug's pads but trickled wide.
 
Sophomore forward Chloe Kinsel and senior forward Katie Batters both had strong first periods. The line-mates nearly netted two goals on impressive give-and-go rushes late in the first. Junior defenseman Sam Greeley had possibly the best chance of the first period as she one-timed a nifty Batters pass, but Beilke-Skoug made an impressive glove stop.
 
Sibley, once again, had an early second period opportunity get stopped by the blocker of Beilke-Skoug on a fast-break rush. Minutes later, Kuechle was required to make a breakaway save on sophomore forward Hailey Rock. Rock followed her shot and fired another from in-tight, but Kuechle stood tall.
 
Senior forwards Kait Mason and Brook Story had a nice give-and-go lead to a Mason slap shot, but the pad of Beilke-Skoug was stronger.
 
Beilke-Skoug made two terrific stops on a mid-second period power play for UWRF. Sibley had the initial chance from the slot, then junior Alice Cranston on the rebound. She later made a quick blocker save on Olson.
 
Kuechle made three gigantic stops on a late second period penalty kill, two of which came off the stick of sophomore forward Emily Lester from point-blank.
 
Cycling led to a Batters wrist shot chance from the dot, but Beilke-Skoug made the blocker save, sending the puck into the rafters. Shortly thereafter, Pointers sophomore forward Shauna Bollinger nearly scored the game's first goal on a 2-on-1 opportunity but Kuechle made the sprawling pad save.
 
Josie Johnson finally broke the scoreless tie at 17:48 for the Pointers, as she carried the puck around the tops of the circles and wristed a shot through traffic, beating Kuechle blocker side. Rock and junior defenseman Nicole Schaub assisted the goal. Kuechle had to make a couple last second saves to keep the score at 1-0 after two.
 
Second period shots were 10-6, in favor of UW-Stevens Point. The Falcons failed to score on three second period power plays, while the Pointers went 0-2.
 
Falcons freshman forward Karleigh Wolkerstorfer almost tied the contest with a slap shot from the top of the circle two minutes into the third period, but the puck did not find a home. Kuechle then had to make a save in traffic on Salmen six minutes into the third on a penalty kill. After her penalty, freshman forward Jenna Ulberg came out of the box with a head of steam and nearly snuck one over the head of Beilke-Skoug. Kuechle had to be strong late in the contest, especially when Bollinger skated down on a breakaway.
 
Sibley tied the contest at one with 2:59 left in the third period on a rebound, beating Beilke-Skoug low blocker side. Olson took the initial shot after being fed by Ulberg. Sibley pushed her goal total to seven with the tally. Olson's assist was her third of the season, while Ulberg now has eight (tying her for second on the team).
 
The Pointers nearly ended the game with 1.5 seconds on the clock when a last gasp wrist shot rang off the post and flew wide as time expired. Third period shots were 8-5, in favor of the Falcons. Shots through three periods were 24-20, UWRF.
 
The Falcons earned a rare overtime power play opportunity 25 seconds into the extra frame, and on a 2-on-1 with one minute left in the power play Lester rang a shorthanded shot off the post.
 
Freshman defenseman Paige Johnson seemingly ended the game with 20 seconds left on the power play as the red light turned on, but the puck never crossed the line. The power play ended with no goals, and the game ended frozen in a tie.
 
UWRF finished the evening 0-7 on the power play, while UW-Stevens Point went 0-4. Olson led the Falcons with seven shots on goal, while Sibley fired six. Salmen had six shots for the Pointers.
 
UW-Stevens Point still leads all-time series 20-24-5; they still momentarily hold first place in the WIAC by one point.
 
UWRF is 1-2-1 against UW-Stevens Point this season.
 
UWRF had scored at least two goals in all but one game, until this afternoon. The lone game which they did not score two goals came against the Pointers on Nov. 15 in a 2-1 loss.
 
The Falcons are now 13-3-3 on the season, 4-2-2 in the WIAC and 5-1-3 at home. The tie ended their seven-game winning streak. UW-Stevens Point are now 13-4-2 overall, 5-2-1 in the WIAC and 5-1-2 on the road.
 
The Falcons take the ice Wednesday evening against the University of St. Thomas Tommies (10-3-3) at Hunt Arena; the puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Box Score