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University of Wisconsin-Superior Athletics

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Wisconsin-Superior
Yellowjackets
Leah Elledge
Jade Jensen

Women's Hockey

Yellowjackets Edge Finlandia

Lexie Weiss (4) and Leah Elledge celebrate Elledge's first goal as a Yellowjacket in the second period Monday.
Box Score

Yellowjackets 3, Finlandia 1

The 2015 portion of the women's hockey season debuted for the Yellowjackets Monday night, and the game that unfolded followed none of the templates put forth earlier in the year.

On the one hand, the Yellowjackets were dominant offensively. Aside from the opening stages of the first period the Yellowjackets owned a severe territorial advantage. As well, they peppered the Finlandia goal with 78 shots on goal, including 30 in each the second and third periods. Still, it wasn't until they scored an insurance goal late in the third that the issue was decided.

Finlandia goaltender Breanna Merriam stole the show on Monday, finishing the night with 75 saves and keeping the shorthanded Lions in the game, but in the end the Yellowjackets prevailed, winning their third straight game, 3-1 at Wessman Arena.

Coming into the game the Lions were winless and had only scored 12 goals in their first nine games, but they looked like anything but a winless club in the early going. After surrendering the first shot on goal the Lions roared back the other way and pinned the Yellowjackets in their own zone. Their persistence on the forecheck paid off just 2:40 into the game when Brock Nelson's shot eluded the glove of Yellowjacket goaltender Kim Kobar (The Pas, Manitoba/Margaret Barbour Collegiate) to make it a 1-0 game.

The Yellowjackets were quick to answer, however. At 7:54 team captain Dani Schultz (Morris, Minn./Morris Area) scored her sixth of the season, picking up a loose puck between the circles and sliding it past Merriam to knot the game at 1-1. Kiara De Kezel (Deloraine, Manitoba/Deloraine) and Pamela McLeod (Gillam, Manitoba/Balmoral Hall Prep) assisted.

As the second period unfolded the Yellowjackets turned up the heat, putting ten shots on goal in the first five minutes of the middle frame, but each time they came away stymied by Merriam. At 8:20 of the period the Yellowjackets broke the tie for good, and it was the newest member of the team that did the damage. Leah Elledge (Champlin Park, Minn./Champlin Park), a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Lindenwood University, worked her way to the front of the net and deflected an Emily Heid (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) point shot past Merriam to stake the Yellowjackets to a 2-1 lead. Maggie Cragg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) also assisted on Elledge's first goal as a Yellowjacket.

Finlandia, who mustered just two shots on goal in the second period, put a few more shots on goal in the third, and at times were close to tying the game, but Kobar stood tall to make sure the Yellowjackets stayed ahead. In the waning minutes of the game they got some breathing room, courtesy of team goals leader Haley Olmstead (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North). Olmstead's shot from the right side beat Merriam with just 2:35 to play in regulation, to make the final score 3-1. Hailey Adair (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) had the lone assist.

Kobar, making her first appearance since November 21, picked up the win and improved to 4-1-0 on the year. Despite her valiant efforts in the Lions' goal, Merriam was tagged with the loss Monday, with her record falling to 0-2-0.

Each team took six penalties for 12 minutes in the game, and both teams were scoreless in three power play chances.

The Yellowjackets (10-4-0, 3-2 WIAC) and the Lions will play the second game of their series at Wessman Arena on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Hailey Adair

#21 Hailey Adair

F
5' 6"
Sophomore
Kiara De Kezel

#18 Kiara De Kezel

F
5' 7"
Senior
Kim Kobar

#33 Kim Kobar

G
5' 6"
Sophomore
Pamela McLeod

#19 Pamela McLeod

D
5' 5"
Sophomore
Haley Olmstead

#9 Haley Olmstead

F
5' 9"
Senior
Dani Schultz

#6 Dani Schultz

F
5' 4"
Senior
Emily Heid

#8 Emily Heid

D
5' 4"
Freshman
Maggie Cragg

#20 Maggie Cragg

D
5' 5"
Freshman
Leah Elledge

#3 Leah Elledge

F
5' 11"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Hailey Adair

#21 Hailey Adair

5' 6"
Sophomore
F
Kiara De Kezel

#18 Kiara De Kezel

5' 7"
Senior
F
Kim Kobar

#33 Kim Kobar

5' 6"
Sophomore
G
Pamela McLeod

#19 Pamela McLeod

5' 5"
Sophomore
D
Haley Olmstead

#9 Haley Olmstead

5' 9"
Senior
F
Dani Schultz

#6 Dani Schultz

5' 4"
Senior
F
Emily Heid

#8 Emily Heid

5' 4"
Freshman
D
Maggie Cragg

#20 Maggie Cragg

5' 5"
Freshman
D
Leah Elledge

#3 Leah Elledge

5' 11"
Sophomore
F