The Lindenwood Women's Hockey team (4-5-0, 1-4-0 AHA) came up just short on Friday afternoon against No. 5 Penn State, falling on the road by a final score of 5-4. The Lions scored three goals in the second period from three different players, while Paige Cline led the offense with two goals.
The Lions applied pressure early, earning a power play opportunity nine minutes into the first period. Lindenwood recorded five shots on goal during the two minute advantage, including two from Michaela Paulinyova. However, the Lions were unable to capitalize, and immediately after the power play expired, Penn State's McKenna Walsh scored on a breakaway after exiting the penalty box to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. Ebba Ridderstolpe stopped the final seven shots of the opening period to keep the deficit at one heading into the second frame.
Lindenwood broke through less than a minute into the second period when Cline scored her fourth goal of the season, with assists from Paulinyova and Raquel McCormack, to even the score at 1-1. Penn State responded four minutes later to regain the lead at 2-1, but the Lions answered less than three minutes after that. On the power play, Silje Gundersen fired a one time slap shot from the right slot after Thea Rustbakken passed to Elina Zilliox at the blue line, who then found Gundersen for Lindenwood's second equalizer of the contest.
The Lions continued to build momentum and took their first lead of the game at the 8:46 mark of the second period. After the defense forced a turnover, Paulinyova sent the puck into Penn State's defensive zone, where Cline gathered it behind the Penn State net. Cline then found a wide open Krisztina Weiler in the middle of the slot, and Weiler buried a wrist shot for her first career goal to put Lindenwood ahead 3-2. Penn State responded five minutes later to tie the game at three, and the teams entered the final period deadlocked after 40 minutes of play.
The Nittany Lions regained the lead at the 7:53 mark of the third period to make it 4-3, but Lindenwood fought back once again. Cline scored her second goal of the game at the 11:03 mark, with Paulinyova and McCormack recording their second assists on the afternoon, to tie the contest at 4-4. Penn State answered three minutes later with the go-ahead goal and held on for the remainder of the game, leaving the Lions just short in the series opener.
Ridderstolpe finished with a career-high 46 saves, while Cline and Gundersen recorded five shots apiece. The Lions will look to bounce back in the series finale tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT on BIG+.
