ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's hockey team exploded on offense to pick up their second win of the season by the score of 7-0 over visiting Hilbert College. Along the way Payton Hans broke the program's career goal record.
Despite the night being about goals for Hans, she started the game with a selfless pass that opened the scoring. Despite dominating time of possession, the Thunder remained scoreless in the waning minutes of the first period. In one of the few trips to the defensive zone, Hannah Lambers ended up with the puck behind the net passing it up to Hans who went the length of the ice before passing the puck across the face of the net to Kailey Mleko who trailed just behind. Mleko fired the puck past the glove of the Hawks' goalie to give the team a 1-0 lead.
Hans got her record-breaking goal in the middle of the second period. Mleko handed the puck off to Gabrielle Hicks in the far corner before the fifth-year senior skated behind the net. From their Hicks found a wide-open Hans just inside the near circle where she scored. The goal was her sixth of the season and the 34th of her career.
The scoring continued a few minutes later, despite Trine being in the middle of killing off a penalty. The team forced play in the offensive zone after a successful clear, with Hilbert working from behind their net. Hicks intercepted a pass along the board and skated forward into the far circle. From there she went high with her shot, banking it off the crossbar and into the net.
A few more minutes later, Hans went the length of the ice again. This time Sydney Streb passed the puck out from behind the net, finding Hans near the defensive blue line. After the extended skate she went to the goalie's glove side for the 35th goal of her career.
Despite the historic night for her teammate, it was Lambers that took home the first star of the game. She did so by leading the team with four points, including two goals and two assists. She got her first goal in the final second of the second period. With time running out, Taryn Raisanen was able to muscle her way through the defense before making an unbalanced pass behind the Hilbert net. Mleko was there to collect the puck and pass it back to the front of the net. Lambers was able to score the goal just before time expired.
Lambers tallied her second assist in the second minute of the third with an amazing pass through the neutral zone. That effort found Lauren Lacroix who skated into the offensive zone and around one defender before finding the back of the net. It was the first goal of her collegiate career.
Lambers finished off her night in the tenth minute of the period, scoring the final goal of the game after intercepting a clear attempt in the slot. The second goal of her night and career gave the team their final 7-0 lead.
The shutout belonged to the entire team, with the Thunder allowing just four shots on goal by the Hawks in the game, including none in the first period and only one in the second. It is just the second time in program history that the team has allowed only four shots in a game. Claire Schmaltz benefited from the effort, recording the shutout win in net with four saves.
Trine improves to 2-11-0 overall following the lopsided victory. They will host Hilbert again tomorrow, Saturday, December 9, with opening faceoff scheduled for 2 p.m.