Things turned out to be much closer than we all expected as the score was 0-0 with Hamline going on the power play at 7:46 of the first period.  They knew their opportunities came slim and they showed that on the player advantage.  Jordan Verleye lit the spark for Hamline University when she took a loose puck in front of the net and poked a shot past Yellowjacket goaltender Kim Kobar (The Pas, Manitoba/Margaret Barbour Collegiate) to give the Pipers a 1-0 lead at 9:37 of the first period.

The Yellowjackets would respond at 16:16 of the first period when Lynne Larson (Blumenort, Manitoba/) took a pass from Sheryl Kaskiw (Souris, Manitoba/Souris Collegiate) in between the circles.  It was from that spot where she fired a wrist shot that hit the post and went into the net to tie the game at a goal a piece.

Haley Olmstead (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North) gave the Yellowjackets a 2-1 lead at 5:09 of the second period when she crashed the net and poked a shot that flew over Hamline goaltender Sam Stark's head and into the net.  The Pipers tied the game at two goals a piece when Chelsea Koehn schooled Yellowjacket goaltender Megan Leikkari (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I) on a breakaway at 12:54 of the second period.

The Yellowjackets could breath a little better in the third period as they pulled away with two more goals.  Dani Schultz (Morris, Minn./Morris Area) got the scoring started when she nailed a wrist shot that beat Stark high and to her right to give the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead at 8:31.  Hailey Adair (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) continued her impressive opening weekend as a collegian with a goal in front of the net at 13:37 of the third period to extend the Yellowjacket lead to 4-2.  

Kobar, Leikkari, and Shanley Peters (Gnadenthal, Manitoba/Garden Valley Collegiate) combined for 13 saves while Stark had an astonishing 41 saves.

The Yellowjackets (2-0, 0-0 WIAC) will travel to St. Peter, Minn. on Friday, Nov. 8 to take on Gustavus Adolphus College.  Game time is at 7:00 p.m.