WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Wilkes University women's ice hockey team concluded a record setting regular season with a 3-1 victory over visiting Alvernia University in United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) action Saturday afternoon at the Toyota SportsPlex.
Wilkes finished the regular season with a 17-6-2 overall record and at 12-6-2 in the UCHC with 38 points. The Colonels tied with Arcadia University for fourth in the UCHC standings with 38 points, but the Knights will host Wilkes in a quarterfinal matchup this coming Wednesday as they held the tiebreaker with one more overall conference victory with 13 compared to 12 for the Colonels.
Alvernia dropped to 11-10-4 overall and 9-8-3 in the UCHC with the loss. The Golden Wolves earned the No. 6 seed in the UCHC postseason and will play a quarterfinal at Manhattanville College.
Khenzie Connick put Alvernia ahead 1-0 at the 13:54 mark of the first period but Wilkes responded in short order as Tilly Wierdsma scored her fifth goal of the season on the power play at the 15:30 mark. Chayce Hyndman and Jordan Ferry collected assists on the tying goal.
Kayli Dubé then put Wilkes ahead with what would be her first career game-winning goal with only 34 seconds left in the first period. The unassisted goal was the third of the season for the first-year player.
The score remained the same through the second and most of the third period until Bella Kaczorowski scored into an empty net with 20 seconds left in the game to make it 3-1 and seal the victory for the Colonels. It was her fourth goal of the season.
Wilkes clamped down defensively all game, only allowing 14 total shots on goal throughout the game. Audrey Milne was up to task to earn her 13th win of the season as she made 13 saves. Wilkes killed off three Alvernia power plays across the second and third periods.
The Colonels were 1-for-2 on their own power play chances and totaled 35 shots on goal in the game.
Julia Beaven made 32 saves in the losing effort for the Golden Wolves.
Wilkes won the faceoff battle 29-25 as Sabrina Kotlarczyk was 12-for-16 Rachel Morey and Ferry each added eight wins.
The Colonels embark on their first UCHC postseason appearance on Wednesday when they travel to Arcadia as the No. 5 seed. The UCHC Quarterfinal game is slated for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop in Colmar, Pa. Wilkes won the first game of the season series 5-2 back on November 17 at the Toyota SportsPlex before Arcadia won the next day 5-3.