PIPERS SKATE TO TIE

Four straight Hamline University goals were answered by four straight St. Olaf College goals, as the two teams split the points in the MIAC women’s hockey standings with a 4-4 tie.

The Pipers opened the game with a flurry of goals in the first period, building up a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Alli Miller (So., Fairbault, Minn.) put the puck in the net first, scoring at 5:53 from first-year Billye Nelson (Warroad, Minn.). The goal was Alli Miller’s eighth of the year.

Shannon Griswold (Jr., Portland, Ore.) doubled Hamline’s lead with her first goal of the season at 14:18. Brianna Miller (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) was credited with the assist. Alli Miller and Mallory Steele (Jr., Rochester Hills, Minn.) then combined to get the puck to Brianna Miller 13 seconds before the end of the period, as she increased the lead to 3-0.

The Pipers added another goal to their side of the scoreboard at 5:54 in the second, when Alli Miller scored her second of the game. Erin Kastner (Fy., Fairbault, Minn.) was credited with the assist.

St. Olaf responded with four unanswered goals to tie the game, including three power play goals in the second period. Their first game at 9:28 from Kristen Latta (Fy., Edina, Minn.), scoring on a pass from Kelly Biddle (Fy., La Miranda, Calif.).

They narrowed the Piper lead to two goals at 12:50 when Kim McClintick (Jr., Chaska, Minn.) scored from Lauren Tomford (Jr., Avon, Conn.). The same pair of players cut the lead to one at 13:47 with a goal from Tomford and an assist from McClintick.

The Oles tied the game with their fourth straight goal just 33 seconds into the third period. Tomford put the puck in the net on a delayed penalty goal, unassisted, for her second goal of the game.

Hamline and St. Olaf played the remainder of the third period without scoring, sending the game into the five minutes overtime period. Despite several desperate scrambles in front of both nets, the teams finished with the 4-4 tie.

The Pipers now stand at 6-7-1, 2-4-1 MIAC, while the Oles are 4-5-3, 4-4-1 MIAC.