SCHENECTADY, NY – The Union College women's ice hockey team opened the season with a 5-0 loss to two-time defending national champion and top-ranked University of Wisconsin Friday at Messa Rink. The Dutchwomen were backstopped by junior goaltender
Lundy Day (Calgary, AB), who stopped a career high-tying 37 shots in her Union debut.
Union killed off the Badgers' first power play of the game, but Wisconsin found the back of the net 29 seconds into its second extra-man opportunity in the first period. Junior defender Alycia Matthews (Castlegar, BC) netted the game-winner just over 13 minutes into the contest. Hilary Knight (Hanover, NH) took a feed from Malee Windmeier (Champlin, MN) in the left circle and passed across to Matthews who fired from the top of the right circle for her second career goal.
Three minutes later, junior Angie Keseley (St. Louis Park, MN) knocked in a loose puck to give the Badgers a 2-0 lead. Windmeier fired from the blue line, but her shot was stopped by Day. The rebound was tipped out by sophomore Meghan Duggan (Danvers, MA) and flipped in by Keseley high on Day's stick side.
Emily Kranz (Waukesha, WI) found a loose puck from Kayla Hagen (Crosslake, MN) in front of Union's net late in the second period and slid it past Day inside the far post to give Wisconsin a three-goal cushion.
Union came on stronger in the third period, as the Dutchwomen registered five shots in the stanza while holding the Badgers to 11. Senior tri-captain
Maeve Kehoe (Chelsea, QC) stripped the puck from a defender less than three minutes in the frame. She turned and fired from the left faceoff dot, but Wisconsin netminder Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, WI) kept the Dutchwomen off the board. Kehoe led the Dutchwomen at the faceoff dot, winning 10 of 16 draws.
Freshman
Kelly Fleming (Lake Placid, NY) sent a slapshot from the right point after a Wisconsin defensive miscue, but her shot careened off of Vetter's blocker.
Wisconsin netted two goals midway through the third period, the first coming on the power play at 7:08. Rachel Bible (Black River Falls, WI) passed to Keseley behind the net, who then centered the puck across the crease to the stick of Kayla Hagen (Crosslake, MN). Hagen slid the puck just inside the post for her 13th career goal.
Mallory Deluce (London, ON) added the Badgers' fifth goal at 10:57, assisted by Jinelle Zaugg (Eagle River, WI) and Knight.
Vetter finished with five saves, all in the final period, while Day stopped 37 – including 16 in the first period.
The two teams face off again on Saturday evening in a 7 p.m. game at Messa Rink.
