ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's hockey team picked up their second win of the season, defeating visiting Stevenson University by the score of 5-3. Chloe Downey led the team with two goals in the contest, but Ella Porter recorded the game winner.
The Thunder opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the contest. After the Mustangs ended up in possession of the puck in their defensive zone, Sofia Koppa harassed the defender along the boards, tipping an attempted pass to Jordan Faith just below the near faceoff dot. She quickly forwarded it to the front of the net where Downey was waiting to score the goal.
Stevenson responded in the 12th minute with their first goal of the game, taking advantage of a turnover in their offensive end.
In the 16th minute the Mustangs dumped the puck behind the net, giving Faith possession in her defensive zone. The freshman skated toward the near boards before passing it back behind the net to Nevada Weisbrod. While the puck movement was happening behind the net, Olivia Porthan saw her chance and took off toward the opposite end of the ice, avoiding notice by all of the opposition's skaters. Weisbrod saw her teammate unmarked and made a spectacular pass to center ice. Porthan converted on the breakaway for the 2-1 lead.
A few minutes later, however, another turnover in the defensive zone set up the Mustangs for their second goal, tying the game with just under four minutes remaining in the period. That 2-2 score held into the first intermission.
Trine scored the only goal of the second to take back the lead for the second intermission. This time Hannah Lambers caused a turnover near the offensive blueline. Rather than taking a messy shot she fired a pass from the top of the near circle finding Ryleigh White on the far side of the crease. Another pass caught the goalie in motion, with Cassandra Biblow scoring on the back side of the net.
Stevenson tied the game again early in the third period. The game looked in danger of heading to overtime with that 3-3 score holding into the final three minutes of play.
Lambers intercepted a pass in the defensive zone, skating to center ice before a pair of Mustang defenders nearly took the puck back. Instead, the junior made a sideways pass that found Porter. The freshman moved up the ice to the bottom of the near faceoff circle, firing a shot that hit the top bar and then the post before going in the net.
The tally gave the team a 4-3 lead and forced the opposition to pull their goalie with two minutes left on the clock. Sydney Streb intercepted a pass and found Downey behind the defense to ice the game. Downey's second goal of the night, coming on the empty net gave the team their final 5-3 lead.
Zsuzsa Révész played the game in net for the Thunder and finished the game with 23 saves on the way to her first collegiate victory.
Trine improves to 2-4-1overall following the victory. They will look for a weekend sweep tomorrow, Sunday, November 30. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
