Yellowjackets edge UW-Stevens Point 2-1 in tight affair

Kiara De Kezel scored the game-winner for UW-Superior.

Box Score

Superior 2, Stevens Point 1

Games between the UW-Superior women's hockey team and UW-Stevens Point have a long history of being tightly contested affairs. And Friday night's WIAC conference battle at Ice Hawks Arena proved to be no exception.

Fortunately, the Yellowjackets came through in crunch time, getting a third-period goal from Kiara De Kezel (Deloraine, Manitoba/Deloraine) and solid goal tending from Megan Leikkari (Thunder Bay, Ontario/Westgate CV&I) to post a 2-1 road win in the opener of their weekend series in Stevens Point.

UW-Superior improved to 15-8 overall and 5-6 in WIAC action with the victory. The Pointers meanwhile dropped to 15-7-2 for the season, including 5-4-2 in league play.

It didn't take UW-Stevens Point long to open the scoring as Katherine Nejedlo converted off a feed from Nicole Schaub for her ninth tally of the season and a 1-0 Pointers' edge that would carry over into the first intermission.

The Yellowjackets struck back early in the second period when defender Pamela McLeod (Gillam, Manitoba/Balmoral Hall Prep) netted her first marker of the campaign unassisted just 1:21 into the middle frame to even matters 1-1.

From there, the two teams battled back-and-forth for more than a full period before De Kezel gave UW-Superior a 2-1 lead at 8:59 of the final stanza on an assist from sophomore Hailey Adair (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park).

The Pointers pressured hard over the final 11 minutes of regulation, piling up an 8-3 edge in shots during the third period. But Leikkari stood tall in net for UW-Superior, turning away all eight shots in the frame while finishing with 27 saves to pick up her seventh win of the season.

UW-Stevens Point held a 28-18 edge in shots for the game with Janna Beilke-Skoug taking the loss after stopping 16 of 18 shots.

Neither team was able to score on the power play as the Yellowjackets went 0-for-2 while the Pointers came up empty on three opportunities.

The two teams close out their weekend series at Ice Hawks Arena Saturday afternoon. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Hailey Adair: F; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#18 Kiara De Kezel: F; 5' 7"; Senior

#30 Megan Leikkari: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#19 Pamela McLeod: D; 5' 5"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#21 Hailey Adair
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: F

#18 Kiara De Kezel
: 5' 7"; Senior
: F

#30 Megan Leikkari
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#19 Pamela McLeod
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: D