CANTON, NY -- Sophomore forward Tara Akstull scored a pair of power play goals, extending her goal-scoring streak to seven games, and added an assist as the No. 5/4 St. Lawrence University women's hockey team earned an ECAC Hockey victory over the Union Dutchwomen, 7-0, in Appleton Arena on Friday evening.
The Saints (7-2-0, 3-0-0) got a four-point effort from senior co-captain Chelsea Grills, who scored a goal and added three assists, while senior Sabrina Harbec, the University's new career-scoring leader, tallied two goals and a helper in the victory. The Scarlet and Brown's offense was relentless, taking 45 shots on goal to the Dutchwomen's nine.
Though Union (0-10-0, 0-3-0) worked hard in the first period to keep the Saints at bay, sophomore Brittaney Maschmeyer broke the scoreless period with 3:00 minutes left to play in the opening frame. With a delayed penalty coming on the Dutchwomen, sophomore goalie Maxie Weisz skated to the bench for an extra attacker. Harbec worked the puck along the boards back to Maschmeyer, who blasted a slap shot from the point that deflected off a Union defender and past goaltender
Lundy Day (Calgary, AB) to give St. Lawrence a 1-0 lead after one period of play.
It was the Saints' five-goal second period that overwhelmed Union, as the home team's power play erupted for four tallies in the twenty minutes. Grills scored the team's second goal after a beautiful pass through the crease from Akstull on the power play at 2:08. Harbec would then score her fifth of the season and first of the night at 10:01 of the second period, with an assist going to rookie blueliner Michelle Zimmerman to make the score 3-0.
Akstull completed the period's scoring at 16:44 on the power play, when she wristed a shot past new Union netminder
Danielle Kimble (Reston, VA), who replaced Day after St. Lawrence's fifth goal.
Harbec notched her second goal of the night at 4:33 of the third period, with an assist going to Grills, which was the Stittsville, Ontario native's 14th helper of the season. The goal capped the scoring at 7-0, as Weisz made stopped all nine shots that she faced in the game to earn her second shutout of the season.
Weisz improved to 2-0-0 on the season, and is yet to give up a goal in her sophomore campaign. Day took the loss for Union, despite making 23 saves, and fell to 0-10-0. Kimble made 15 stops, including 11 in the third period, in her stead.
Union continues its league road trip with a 4 p.m. tilt at Clarkson Saturday.
