By Michael Heilman
The Metropolitan Riveters and Connecticut Whale met for game two Sunday afternoon at the ProSkate Arena in the final game before the All-Star break.
The Riveters broke the scoreless tie twelve minutes and fifty-six seconds into the first period as Mallory Rushton skated with the puck having a couple of Whale’s players on her. She passed the puck over to Leila Kilduff, who was all alone and waited patiently to take the shot, and she delivered it to the left side of Whale’s goalie Brooke Wolejko to put the Riveters up 1-0. Mallory Rushton and Rebecca Morse assisted Kilduff’s goal.
This would be the only goal scored in the first period as the Riveters led 1-0 at the end of the first period. The Riveters needed to clean up the penalties as they committed three penalties but managed to prevent Connecticut from doing damage. Connecticut led the shots total eleven to five.
Two minutes and five seconds into the second period, Madison Packer, with an assist from Kiira Dosdall-Arena, skated around a Connecticut defender and made a backhand shot that went under the legs of goalie Brooke Wolejko to extend the Riveters lead 2-0.
After several shot attempts by several Riveters players, Madison Packer recovered the puck to pass it to Rebecca Morse. Morse made a long-shot attempt that went right into the lower left of the goal net and in for the goal as the Riveters extended their lead 3-0 twelve minutes and thirty-eight seconds left to play in the second period.
With less than six minutes remaining in the second period, Connecticut finally answered as Grace Klienbach, who was covered by a couple of Riveters players, managed to pass the puck to Sarah Schwenzfeier. Schwenzfeier was falling in the process of getting the puck and managed to score before the goalie net dislodged to cut the Riveters lead 3-1. Klienbach, along with Taylor Marchin, assisted Schwenzfeier’s goal.
A minute and twenty-four seconds later, the Riveters got the goal back as Mallory Rushton shot the puck that hit a Whale’s player. As the Whale’s player tried to get the puck out of their zone, Riveter’s Cailey Hutchison went after the puck at the same time and shot the puck, which snuck into the left side of the goal net to put the Riveters back up by three goals 4-1. The Riveters led 4-1 at the end of the second period. The Riveters did clean up the penalties, only committing one penalty. The Whale’s, on the other hand, committed two penalties. The shots total was thirteen to five in favor of the Riveters.
Connecticut was able to cut the lead in half 4-2 with less than three minutes left to play in regulation as Emma Vlasic batted the puck from the air and into the net for the goal. After Valasic’s goal, Connecticut called a timeout and pulled Brooke Wolejko for the extra attacker. The Riveters defense fought off the Whale’s players and was able to secure a 4-2 win over the Connecticut Whale.
The shots total for the game was twenty-nine to twenty-five in favor of the Riveters. The Riveters went zero for two on the power play while Connecticut went zero for four. Riveters goalies Sam Walther, who played eleven minutes before her injury was eight for eight. Backup goalie Dana Demartino finished the day going fifteen of seventeen saves allowing two goals. Connecticut Whale goalie Brooke Wolejko was twenty-five of twenty-nine saves allowing four goals.
Both of these teams now head to the All-Star break and won’t resume play until February 15th as Connecticut will visit the Warrior Ice Arena against the Boston Pride while the Rivers will have back-to-back games against the Buffalo Beauts February 15th and 16th at the ProSkate Arena.
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