The Wilkes University Women’s Hockey team were back in action for the first time in a few weeks, hosting Alvernia in a MAC Championship semi-final matchup.
The Colonels came into the game on a 15 game point streak, winning 14 and tying one in that span, with the tied game being a shootout victory. Alvernia came into the game 4-1 in their last five games.
In the regular season, the Colonels swept the Golden Wolves in the regular season series, going 3-0 in those matchups.
Wilkes started out hot in the early going in the first period, with many scoring opportunities. However, Alvernia’s Stephanie Skorupa was a brick wall in the first frame, making 17 saves on 17 shots.
Audrey Milne was perfect in net as well in the period for Wilkes, making four saves on four shots faced. The Colonels and Golden Wolves found themselves tied after the first period with no score on the board
The Colonels found the back of the net to open the scoring about two minutes into the second period. Iida Laitinen was the goal scorer, with Tilly Wierdsma providing the lone assist.
The Colonels scored again five minutes later with Rachel Morey finding the twine. Angelina Bustos and Ainsley Wescott provided the assists on the play.
Wilkes found the back of the net again just under two minutes later on the power play. Haylee Bouchard recorded the tally on the advantage, with Megan Bell and Nina Hudakova assisting.
Going into the second intermission, it was advantage Wilkes, with a 3-0 scoreline in favor of the Colonels
The Golden Wolves were back in the game when they scored to cut the deficit to two goals about five minutes into the third. Khenzie Connick found the back of the net, with Addy Gularte and Kayla Moriarty.
The Colonels answered right back less than a minute later off of Bouchard’s second tally of the evening. Wierdsma grabbed her second assist of the game on the play.
Wilkes grabbed their fifth tally of the night when Hannah Franz scored to make it a 5-1 game with just over five minutes left in the game.
On the power play with less than two minutes to play, the Golden Wolves grabbed their second goal of the evening to make it a 5-2 score. Emma Hart grabbed the final goal of the contest, with assists coming from Julia Franklin and Gularte.
At the end of it, Milne had 24 saves in the win. The Colonels had two multi point scorers in Bouchard and Wierdsma. In total, eight players for Wilkes had at least a point.
For Alvernia, Skorupa made 42 saves in the loss. Gularte was the lone multi point scorer for the Golden Wolves, with five players in total recording a point.
With the win, the Colonels move on to the MAC Championship where they will face off against the winner of the second semifinal matchup, Arcadia. It will be a home game for the Colonels, as they are the No. 1 seed in the conference.
During the regular season, the two teams met three times, with Wilkes winning two in regulation and tying the other, eventually winning in a shootout.
The MAC Championship will take place on March 8 at the Toyota Sportsplex. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:30 P.M. in Wilkes-Barre
If the Colonels are able to win their next game, they will be able to secure a spot in the NCAA Division 3 National Championship bracket.
For more information about the Colonels’ playoff run, stay tuned to The Beacon.