The Lake Forest College women's hockey team defeated visiting UW-Eau Claire 5-2 Saturday afternoon (January 30). The Foresters are now 14-2-2 overall and 8-1-2 and in first place in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. The Blugolds fell to 9-6-3 overall and 4-3-2 in league play.

The only goal of the opening period came off the stick of Lake Forest senior Courtney Bean (Peoria, Ill./Team Illinois) at 17:21. Her fifth goal of the season was assisted by junior Melissa Kravich (Wilmette, Ill./Gustavus Adolphus College) just 10 seconds into a power play opportunity. The Foresters out-shot the visitors 8-6 in the period.

Kravich then assisted junior Sam Herron (Clinton Township, Mich./Victory Honda) at the 12:25 mark of the second period and freshman Denise Perez' (San Jose, Calif./Minnesota Thoroughbreds) goal at 16:02 made the score 3-0. Sophomores Mira Trebilcock (South Porcupine, Ontario/Trinity College School) and Jessica Dare (Whitmore Lake, Mich./Belle Tire) assisted on the sixth goal of the year by Perez and Lake Forest took a 3-0 lead and 16-12 advantage in shots into the third period.

Eau Claire finally got on the scoreboard on a power play goal six minutes and 32 seconds into the final period. The Foresters responded just 11 seconds later with Herron's second goal of the day and sixth this season. Junior Lynn Switaj (Avon Lake, Ohio/Ohio Flames) earned her team-high 14th assists of the uear on the play. The Blugolds pulled back to within two goals at 17:31 but their comback attempt was thwarted just 38 seconds later when Dare scored on an empty net for her 10th score this season. Eau Claire out-shot the Lake Forest 12-6 in the period.

Forester junior goaltender Alyssa Wintermute (Belmont, Ontario/St. Thomas Panthers) stopped 22 of 24 shots on goal for her eighth victory of the season and team record-tying 27th of her career.

Lake Forest also tied a team record by winning for the 14th time this season and will look to break that mark when the same two teams face off again tomorrow afternoon at 2:00. A live radio broadcast of the game will be available at wmxm.org.