GENEVA, Ill. – After a statement 7-2 victory over No. 2 UW-River Falls on Tuesday, scoring continued to flow for No. 5 women's hockey, as the Gusties posted five goals to defeat Aurora in the first game of their non-conference series, 5-3. Gustavus (7-3-0, 5-1-0 MIAC) scored a pair of goals in both the first and second periods to outlast the Spartans (2-6-2, 2-5-1 NCHA), who scored three in the final frame.
Gustavus wasted no time getting on the board in the first period, as
Lily Mortenson (Jr., Champlin, Minn.) put the visitors up just 2:51 into play.
Eva Nelson (Fy., Buffalo, Minn.) kept the puck in at the blue line in the Spartan zone, sending it to Mortenson behind the net. The junior placed a pass on the stick of
Noelle Hemr (Fy., Blaine, Minn.) in the slot, whose shot tipped off the skate of an Aurora defender, bouncing straight to Mortenson on the goal line, who sent her team-leading seventh of the season into the back of the net.
The Gustie offense smothered Aurora through the first 20 minutes, putting 16 shots on goaltender Zoie Campbell.
Abby Elliott (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.), who scored the first goal of her career the weekend before, added her second in as many weeks as time expired in the first period. After sustained pressure in the Spartan zone, Mortenson sent a pass up to the point for Elliott, who rifled a shot over the shoulder of Campbell with just milliseconds on the clock for a 2-0 Gustavus lead heading into the first intermission.
And, just as Mortenson had done in the first,
Hannah Gray (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) added a quick tally after puck drop, scoring 56 seconds into the second period off a feed from
Kylie Scott (So., Dayton, Minn.) and Hemr. She added her second of the game and fourth of the season seven minutes later, once again assisted by Mortenson. The junior leading scorer walked around the Spartan zone and sent a backhand shot off the left pad of Campbell, leaving the rebound for her captain, who extended the lead to 4-0 for the Gusties.
Aurora took advantage of a pair of power plays in the third period to break the Gustie shutout, scoring two with the player advantage to cut the lead to 4-2.
Brooke Power (5th, Lakeville, Minn.) made sure the lead would hold, putting the punctuation mark on the game with an unassisted tally halfway through the final frame. Power collected a loose puck, and, 1-on-5, weaved her way through the Spartan defense before flipping a backhand over Campbell's shoulder for the team's fifth of the game. Aurora scored another on the ensuing play, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Gusties, who picked up the 5-3 victory to start their road trip.
Gustavus posted a season-high 46 shots on goal compared to 15 for the Spartans. Mortenson picked up her second-consecutive three-point performance, tallying a goal and a pair of helpers to lead the Gustie offense. Hemr added a pair of assists, while Gray's two-goal performance was her third multi-point game of the season.
Lily Timmons (Fy., Stillwater, Minn.) made eight saves to pick up the win, splitting time with
Maya Marston (So., Dellwood, Minn.), who saved four in the third period.
The Gusties and Spartans wrap up their non-conference series Saturday at noon.
