ANGOLA, Ind. – Kailey Mleko scored a last second goal to force overtime, but the University of Dubuque women's hockey team scored last to hand Trine University their third loss of the season.
The Thunder took an early lead in the contest, scoring in the first minute of play. The goal showcased great puck movement beginning in the defensive zone with Hannah Lambers and Dorka Gengeliczky working the puck between them. Lambers eventually threw the puck into the neutral zone where Sofia Koppa collected it before moving into the offensive zone. She passed it back to Payton Hans who scored the goal from the near faceoff circle.
The Spartans struck next, just ahead of the five-minute mark. The 1-1 score lasted into the final quarter of the period when penalties took a toll on the game. Dubuque was assessed one penalty for cross checking and another on the bench for arguing the call to give Trine a 5-on-3 opportunity.
With the two-player advantage, Mleko won a faceoff back to Gabrielle Hicks who carried it toward the stands. After the switching of sides, she passed it back to Taryn Raisanen who quickly fired a shot on net which made it through the mess in front of the net for the goal.
Trine took their first penalty in the final minutes of the period, giving Dubuque a power play opportunity of their own. They took advantage, tying the contest in the final ten seconds of the period and sending the game to intermission with a score of 2-2.
The Spartans scored the only two goals of the second, building a 4-2 lead.
Out of the final intermission, Trine scored in the opening minute of the third to cut the deficit back to one. This time Raisanen's shot from the near circle was turned aside, but the rebound ended up on Mleko's stick near the goal. A quick pass found Ellie Warhoftig in front of the net and her shot found the back of the net.
It looked grim for the Thunder as they still trailed 4-3 in the final minute. Lambers battled in the netural zone to regain possession of the puck before passing it off to Hans in the neutral zone. Another pass found Mleko near the offensive blueline. She carried the puck through the defense and was able to score the goal despite falling in the process of the shot.
The goal tied the game at four, sending the game to overtime. In the opening salvo, Trine ended up turning over the puck in the offensive zone. The Spartans quickly turned it into a two-on-one rush and cashed in with the game winning goal.
The overtime loss does earn the Thunder one point toward the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) standings, but the team falls to 0-3-0 overall and 0-1-0 in NCHA play. They will look to rebound with a win tomorrow, Saturday, November 3 when they host Dubuque for another contest starting at 2 p.m.