ANGOLA, Ind. -- Five different Thunder tallied goals as the Trine University women's hockey team defeated visiting Stevenson University by the score of 5-1 in their season opening home contest.
The Thunder opened the scoring in the contest in the 16th minute of play. Just after the end of a power play opportunity, Trine gave up possession to the Mustangs who drove the ice and fired a shot on goal. Freshman Ryleigh Furlong (Lakeville, Minn. / Farmington), who received the start in net for the team, turned aside the shot leaving the rebound out wide for senior Theresa DiMaggio (Shelby Township, Mich. / Little Caesars) who took the puck around the back of the net and fired a pass up the ice. Sophomore Grace Hicks (Layton, Utah / Utah Lady Grizzlies) collected the puck in the neutral zone and carried it the rest of the way before scoring on a shot in close to the net.
The 1-0 lead would be short lived, with the Mustangs taking advantage of a power play opportunity just two minutes later. The 1-1 score would hold into the first intermission.
Trine came out of the break on a mission scoring two goals in the first ten minutes of the second period. The first came in the sixth minute. Following an offensive zone faceoff, senior Kirsten Vandenheuvel (Denfield, Ont. / Bluewater Hawks) fired a shot toward the net that died among defenders and teammates just inside the crease. The loose puck bounced off of senior Brandi Wilson (Fenton, Mich. / Little Caesars) before DiMaggio finished off the play by forcing the puck past the goalie's blocker.
The team would make the score 3-1 at the nine-minute mark of the period. Trine came up with a win on an offensive zone faceoff following a penalty called against the Mustangs. The Thunder would pass the puck around the point, before freshman Payton Hans (Johnson Creek, Wis. / Madison Capitals) ended up with the puck at the top of the faceoff circle. She fired a pass down to the side of the net where Wilson quickly moved it along. Her pass would move across the face of the net to junior Gabrielle Hicks (Layton, Utah / Utah Lady Grizzlies) who scored through the back door.
The score held for the rest of the second and most of the third, before Trine pulled away in the final two minutes of play. In the 19th minute, Vandenheuvel came up with a loose puck at center ice and passed it forward to Wilson who carried it into the offensive zone. She would then pass it across the ice to junior Grace Canty (West Bloomfield, Mich. / HoneyBaked) who fired an on target shot from the point giving the team a 4-1 lead.
The Mustangs, desperate for a spark of offense, pulled their goalie in favor of an extra attacker. It would backfire. Freshman Kailey Mleko (Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Glenview Stars) fought through a Stevenson defender to come up with the puck in the offensive end. She would pass it to a trailing Hans who fired a shot into the unprotected net putting the team up 5-1.
Furlong responded well after allowing the first period goal and played two shutout periods to secure the win for the team in net. She finished with 22 saves in the contest.
The Thunder start the season 1-0 following the victory. They will host Oswego State tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 30 in their second game of the season. The contest is set to start at 2 p.m.
