SAINT PETER, Minn. – After suffering its first conference loss of the season Friday night, the Gustavus women’s hockey team responded Saturday with a 4-2 win over Hamline to split the series. The Gusties improve to 17-3-2 overall and 11-1-2 in the MIAC, while the Pipers drop to 12-8 overall and 10-4 in the league.
With 5:29 remaining in the first period, Clara Billings (Jr., Rochester) put the Gusties on the board with her fourth goal of the season. Gabby Slykas (Sr., Frankfort, Ill.) and Brooke Power (So., Lakeville) assisted on the first goal and the score remained 1-0 at the first intermission. The Pipers took advantage of a power play just 1:16 into the second to tie the score and then gained a 2-1 lead at the 6:01 mark. Three minutes later, Emily Howard (Fy., Savage) netted the equalizer for her second goal of the season, once again with an assist going to Slykas.
Immediately after killing off a Hamline power play with 5:21 left in the second, Tina Press (So., Cottage Grove) found Hailey Holland (Jr., Aberdeen, S.D.) stepping onto the ice out of the penalty box for a breakaway goal, which proved to be the game-winner.
The third period went scoreless until Power scored an empty netter with 27 seconds remaining for her MIAC-leading 16th goal of the season.
The Gusties outshot the Pipers 46-8 as Katie McCoy (Jr., Grafton, Wis.) made six saves in the crease. The Gusties went 0-for-4 on the power play while the Pipers were 1-for-4.
Gustavus closes out the regular season with a home-home series against St. Scholastica next Thursday in Duluth and Saturday in Saint Peter.