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 Sam Poyton recorded her 11th game-winning goal to give WSU a 2-1 win over Robert Morris |
Feb. 16, 2008
DETROIT - The 10th ranked Wayne State University women's hockey team got back on track with a hard fought 2-1 win over Robert Morris Saturday afternoon at the City Sports Center. WSU (18-7-2, 6-1-1 CHA) remains in a first place tie atop the CHA standings with Mercyhurst.
For the second straight game, WSU and RMU put fourth outstanding defensive efforts as goals were hard to come by with both teams combining to go 0-for-14 on power-play opportunities. Wayne State was led by goalie Valery Turcotte (Jonquiere, Quebec/Royal Metabetchouan) who picked up her 13th win of the season with 16 saves while only allowing one goal in the first period.
Offensively, junior Sam Poyton (Hamilton,Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) recorded her 11th game-winning goal of the season while junior Lindsay DiPietro (Manotick, Ont./Ottawa Lady Senators) got the game-tying marker to increase her school-record scoring streak to 14 games. Juniors Melissa Boal (Pakenham, Ont./Ottawa Raiders) and Emily Berzins (Fort McMurray, Alb./Warner Hockey School) along with senior Danielle Wilson (Gravehurst, Ont./Toronto Aeros) each recorded an assist.
Robert Morris (12-17-1, 2-6-0 CHA) got its lone goal from Morgan Beikirch assisted by Maria Stoa while goalie Brianne McLaughlin made 21 saves in the losing effort.
The game remained scoreless until the 11:43 of the first period when Beikirch took a pass from Stoa, skated down the right side in the WSU zone and beat Turcotte with a wrist shot over the left shoulder for a 1-0 RMU lead.
WSU's offense got going at the 7:53 mark of the second period as Berzins pushed the puck up to Boal who in turn hit DiPietro skating in at the blueline all alone for a breakaway. She then beat McLaughlin tie the game at 1-1. One minute later, the Warriors took their first lead of the game as Wilson was able to feed Poyton who got behind both RMU defenders for a breakaway and beat McLaughlin with a backhand shot through the five-hole to go up 2-1.
WSU the relied on its defense and timely saves by Turcotte to hold off RMU in the third period to secure the 2-1 victory.
Wayne State will host #7 Mercyhurst in a battle for first place supremacy atop the CHA standings Friday and Saturday (Feb. 22-23) at the City Sports Center. Both games are set to begin at 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. respectively.
