Nov. 25, 2005

DETROIT, Mich. - The Wayne State women's hockey team (5-8-2 overall) earned its third straight home win, defeating St. Cloud State (3-9-1 overall), 3-2, on Friday night at City Sports Center Arena.

The Huskies' Kristy Oonincx opened the scoring on the power play at 7:19 with her third goal of the season. Hailey Clarkson sent a pass from behind the net to Ashley Stewart, who found Oonincx in the high slot to give SCSU the early lead. This was the Huskies only power-play goal in six chances, while the Warriors went 0-for-4 in the game.

The Warriors answered at 13:19, starting with a nice give-and-go play by Sam Poyton (Hamilton, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) and Laura Monk (Mississauga, Ont./Stoney Creek Sabres) in the top corner. This set Poyton up to send a backhand pass to a charging Amanda Hungle (Regina, Sask./Team Saskatchewan/Regina Wild), who beat St. Cloud goaltender Kendall Newell on the near post to tie the game, 1-1.

Shots were nearly even for the first period, as the Huskies edged out the Warriors, 7-6. In the second period, however, Wayne State had 10 shots to St. Cloud's five.

Poyton gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead just 13 seconds into the second stanza, setting a new school record for the fastest goal to begin any period. Wayne State dumped the puck into the SCSU zone off the opening faceoff, and Monk intercepted a loose puck behind the net and found Poyton waiting at the top of the crease. It marks Poyton's 10th goal of the season, which leads the CHA.

Poyton nearly got another goal minutes later, as she chased a pass from Melissa Boal (Pakenham, Ont./Ottawa Raiders) down the ice in an effort to beat Newell to the puck. As Newell's glove went over the puck, Poyton knocked it loose and into the net, but the goal was disallowed by the referee, as he had already whistled the play dead.

Marie-Michel Lemieux tied the game, 2-2, at the 6:40 mark of the third period, as she redirected a shot from Tricia Fast past Warrior goaltender Valery Turcotte (Jonquiere, Que./Royal Metabetchouan) for her first goal of the season. Abby Krause also earned an assist on the play.

Less than 90 seconds later, Kristy Leng (Lindenhurst, Ill./Wisconsin Wild) and Jessica Haydahl (West Vancouver, B.C./Vancouver Griffins) chased a loose puck hit into the SCSU zone by Leng, and as Newall came out to clear the puck, Haydahl intercepted and passed it to Leng, who slipped it in behind Newell for her first goal of the season and the eventual game-winner at 8:06.

Turcotte had 22 saves in the game, including 11 in the third period, en route to her fifth victory of the season. She also fended off five power-play shots in the final period. Newell saved 18 of WSU's 21 shots on goal.

Wayne State will host St. Cloud State in the series finale at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.