Skip To Main Content

University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

schedule

Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Kiara De Kezel
Jed Carlson-Superior Telegram

Women's Hockey David Nelson

Yellowjackets fall to St. Norbert in NCHA opener

Kiara De Kezel
Box Score

St. Norbert College 5, Yellowjackets 4
Box Score
 
An end of the regular season confidence boost was gained by the Yellowjackets when they thumped Finlandia University in two games.  The strategy behind that was to help take that momentum into games that mean the most.  The Yellowjackets came out with a burst of energy, but it wasn't enough as they fell 5-4 to St. Norbert College in game one of the NCHA quarterfinals.
 
The Yellowjackets took an early 1-0 lead at 3:23 of the first period when Chelsey Wierschem (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) dished the puck over to Haley Olmstead (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North) at the left circle.  She would take a wrist shot that fooled Green Knight goaltender Kaley Gibson.  The Green Knights would answer back with two goals of their own to close out the first period.  Henriette Ostergaard answered the bell when she poked a shot past Yellowjacket goaltender Megan Leikkari (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I) to knot the game at a goal a piece at 13:53 of the first period.  The Green Knights would take a 2-1 lead on a Karissa Anderson goal at 14:50 of the first period, shifting the momentum in their way.
 
That momentum was short-lived as the Yellowjackets answered with two more goals in the second period.  Olmstead notched her second goal of the contest on a goal literally off the face-off to tie the game 2-2 at 8:38 of the second period.  Kiara De Kezel (Deloraine, Manitoba/Deloraine) added to her goal-scoring tear as of late when she fired a wrist shot that hit the top-right hand side of the net to give the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead.  The goal came at 12:31 of the second period. 
 
What do you know; the Green Knights would answer with two more goals once again.  This time it was late in the second period.  Andrea Senne led the charge when she took a slap shot that beat Leikkari to tie the game at three goals a piece.  Unfortunately, a slashing penalty on the Yellowjackets at 15:51 of the third period cost them in a critical moment.  Laurel Hill capitalized on a power play goal at 15:38 of the second period to give the Green Knights a 4-3 lead.
 
The Yellowjackets answered at 11:47 of the third period when Lynne Larson (Blumenort, Manitoba/) juked out St. Norbert defenders on her way to the front of the net before putting the shot past Gibson to tie the game 4-4.  The tempo throughout the game suggested that the last team to score was going to win the game.  That held true when Henriette Ostergaard tacked on her second goal of the game to give the Green Knights a 5-4 lead and eventual win.
 
Leikkari made 18 saves for the Yellowjackets while Gibson stood up 25 shots for the Green Knights.
 
The Yellowjackets (16-8-2) will look to take this series into a mini-game as they face St. Norbert College in game two of the NCHA Playoffs tomorrow (Feb. 23rd).  Game time is at 2:00 p.m. 
Print Friendly Version