ANGOLA, IND. -- The Trine women's hockey team was fell to St. Norbert College by the score of 4-2.
The Thunder struggled to find their rhythm defensively, giving up two goals in the first period to start the second down 2-0. Both goals saw the Green Knights' attackers get behind the defense, putting the Trine goaltender in tough positions.
In the second it looked like Trine would continue to struggle as St. Norbert added to their lead with an early goal. But, down 3-0, the Thunder found their offense.
It started in the 11th minute of the period when freshman forward Olivia Coyne (Allison Park, Pa.) came out of a scrum in the corner with the puck. Coyne skated up to the side of the net and found classmate Eyrn Isaacson (Fenton, Mich.) with a shooting lane in front of the net. Isaacson converted put the puck over the goaltenders glove-side shoulder. The goal was Isaacson's seventh of the year, a team-high. Coyne tallied her fifth assist of the year to find herself in a four-way tie atop the team stat sheet in that category.
Three minutes later the Thunder struck again. The play began in Trine's defensive zone where sophomore forward Katie Plyer (Layton, Utah) redirected a St. Norbert pass toward the blue line. Freshman forward Jessica Sloat (Cary, Ill.) picked up the loose puck at center ice and took it into the offensive end. She pulled up directly in front of the goal, even with the faceoff dots, and fired the puck into the upper right corner of the net. The goal was her first of the season and pulled the Thunder within one of the Green Knights.
Just outside of the final minute of the period, St. Norbert got their final goal of the game to pull ahead 4-2. Both teams would be scoreless in the third period and the score would be the final.
Sophomore Molly Scarborough (Ramsey, Minn.) played well in net for the Thunder despite the four goals allowed. She finished the game with 25 saves after receiving her 15th start of the season.
Trine falls to 4-12-1 overall and 2-11 in the NCHA following the loss. They will look to bounce back tomorrow, Feb. 3, when they finish off the weekend doubleheader. The 2 p.m. contest will be the Thunder's final home contest of the season.