Women’s hockey splits with non-conference opponent Bethel

The women's hockey team came into the weekend series against the Bethel University Royals 1-0 and ranked fourth in the country.

The Falcons would go on and split the series with the Royals by winning on Friday and losing on Saturday.

In game one, the Falcons would take on the Royals in a home match-up at Hunt Arena. It was a freshman battle as the Falcons and Royals both had freshmen goaltenders for its team.

The Royals would have Michelle Klimstra, a freshman from Elk River, Minnesota. The Falcons would have Angie Hall in net, the freshman from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, making her first start as a Falcon.

The first period was a defensive battle on both sides of the puck. Both teams going back-and-forth in the period trying to maintain possession and get a shot on net. Right away in the first period it was all Falcons as they led in the shot category 8-3.

At 12:24 senior captain Alice Cranston scored her second goal of the season on a slap shot to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead in the first period. Both Brianna Breiland and Dani Sibley were credited with assists.

The Falcons would continue to get snubbed on goals in the first period but out-shot the Royals in the period 11-5.

In the second period, the Royals goaltender stood on her head making big plays to avoid goals from the high powered Falcon offense. Klimstra made huge saves to keep the Royals in the game, which included stuffing freshman Carly Moran on her 2-on-1 opportunity with sophomore Karleigh Wolkerstorfer.

The Falcons would commit a penalty at 12:17 that lead to a power play goal scored by the Royals to tie up the game 1-1. The Falcons would still lead in the shot category 9-6 after the period would conclude, but for the second straight game the Falcons would have to rely on the third period.

The Falcons turned on the jets in the third period, outshooting the Royals 18-4, while scoring two goals right away in the period. Junior Dani Buehrer scored the go-ahead goal 3:43 into the period with the assist credited to junior Chloe Kinsel.

Three minutes later, the Falcons would score again, this time a wrist-shot from Sibley with the assist coming from Kinsel for her second assist of the game.

The two goals would be enough for the Falcons to hold on and capture a 3-1 victory over the Royals, with Hall getting her second win of the season, finishing the game with 14 total saves. Although the team came out with a victory, coach Joe Cranston felt that there is room for improvement.

"If we move our feet we're a decent team and if we stand around we are not because we stood around in the second period and we were a pretty bad team," Cranston said. "But once we moved our feet in the third period we had Bethel on their heels and we were dictating play."

On Sunday the Falcons would travel to Blaine, Minnesota, to take on the Royals in its first road game of the season. It wouldn't be the outcome the team hoped for, falling 6-3.

Two minutes into the first period, the Royals were able to take an early lead with a goal scored by junior defenseman Erin Harper. The Falcons would answer back in the period with a goal by Moran. The Royals would score once more in the period to give the team a 2-1 lead.

It was a scoring fest in the second period as both teams were able to net two goals against its opponents. The Falcons would strike early with a goal from Moran, her second goal of the game, and the game would be tied at 2-2. The Royals would score two unanswered goals, one coming just minutes after the Falcons tying goal and another coming at 13:43 while the Royals were short-handed.

17 seconds later the Falcons were able to score on the power- play by freshman Dani Kocina bringing them within one goal by the end of the period.

The third period was all Royals scoring two goals to cap off a 6-3 win over the Falcons, giving the team its first loss of the season with a record of 2-1.

The Falcons have a big test this weekend against 4-0 UW-Stevens Point. Junior forward Kinsel says there are some adjustments that are being made for the team's next series.

"We got new lines so I think that will help. We just have to find lines that are clicking and working well together," Kinsel said.

The series will square off two nationally ranked teams as the Falcons are ranked fifth and the Pointers ranked sixth, but this will also be the first WIAC matchup for the 2014-2015 hockey season.

The series will start Friday, Nov. 14 at home with a 7:05 start time and the second game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 15, with a start time of 2:05 p.m.