Women's Hockey | 2/28/2015 1:31:00 PM
Box Score The Falcon women's hockey team returns to the WIAC playoffs Championship game for the second straight year after beating UW-Eau Claire, 5-1, and winning the first round series, two games to none.
UWRF scored three times in the second period to take control of the contest. UWRF added two third period goals while UWEC had one.
"We played three good periods," said Falcon Coach
Joe Cranston. "We got scoring from all three lines. We had a great performance from our defensemen and our goaltending was very solid."
The first period ended scoreless but the Falcons had the puck most of the time. UWRF had a 14-4 advantage in shots during the first 20 minutes.
Allie Olson led the Falcons with three shots on goal while
Sam Greeley,
Carly Moran and
Dani Sibley each had two.
Alice Cranston had one of the best chances for the Falcons with 2:20 to go in the first period. She took a wrist shot from about 15 feet out front that UWEC goalie Paige Turner saw all the way into her midsection.
UWEC took a minor penalty at the end of the first periodf, but the Falcons could not take advantage of the power play. They did have four shots on goal. But right after the power play ended UWRF's
Dani Buehrer scored, at 2:40, with a slap shot from about 25 feet in front of the UWEC goal. It was her fourth goal of the year and she was assisted by
Sam Greeley and
Emily Stark.
The Blugolds took another penalty about a minute later and UWRF had four more shots on goal but couldn't score despite putting on heavy pressure. The Blugolds went on a power play at 8:32 but it was UWRF that went ahead, 2-0.
Brianna Breiland scored the short-handed goal at 9:29 when she found herself alone in front of the UWEC net and buried the puck. Kinsel picked up the lone assist. She made a nice pass to Breiland from the left boards. It was Breiland's ninth goal of the year and her first short-handed goal of the season. It was UWRF's third shorty of the year.
In a four-on-four situation later in the period the Falcons, who have now won nine straight games and are unbeaten in their last 15 contests, made it a 3-0 game at 13:11 when Sibley scored her 17th of the year from the right inside hash mark. She was assisted by Moran and Greeley. UWRF ended the period with a 23-4 advantage in shots on goal.
UWRF kept the pressure on early in the third period and it paid off with a goal at 6:06. Kendall Evenson scored the goal from 30 feet out. It was her second goal of the season and she was assisted by
Dani Kocina and
Amy Auran. UWEC got on the scoreboard with a goal at 8:11 when Sydney Schneider scored a power-play goal to make it a 4-1 game. UWRF scored its fifth goal at with just 15 seconds to play in the contest. Breiland netted her second of the game, and 10th of the year. She was assisted by her linemates, Cranston and Kinsel. The Falcons had a 17-2 advantage in shots in the period.
The Falcons took eight minor penalties and UWEC had seven. UWRF was 0-5 on the power play and UWEC was 1-6.
Falcon goalie
Angie Hall made 17 saves to get the win - she is now 19-3-1. Turner took the loss - she stopped 49 Falcon shots. UWRF outshot the Blugolds, 54-10.
The Falcons, now 23-3-1 overall, will next host the winner of the Stevens Point-Superior series on March 7 at Hunt Arena in the WIAC playoffs championship game. The puck will drop at 2:05 p.m. This is the second staight year the Falcons have played in the title game. Last year in River Falls the Falcons beat UW-Stevens Point, 5-1. Stevens Point and Superior play their second game starting at 7 p.m., tonight in Stevens Point.
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