The Falcon women's hockey team earned a 6-1 win at Marian on Fiday night and with the win set a school record for victories in a season.
The Falcons are now 21-0-3 overall and the 21 wins is a school record. The 2008-09 (20-7-3) and the 2002-03 (20-6-4) teams both won 20 games.
Putting up an early score to give the Falcons a lead that they wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the game was Jessica Thompson (Shoreview, MN, Mounds View HS) at 4:11 in the first period. The score was the senior team captain's fifth of the season, and she was unassisted.
Despite outshooting the Sabres 19-3 in the first period, Thompson's score would serve as the lone goal of the first period for the powerful Falcon offense. Cassi Campbell (Anchorage, AK, Toronto Rattlers) started in net for the Falcons and stopped each of the Marian shots. At goaltender for Marian was Melissa Calder, who made 18 saves in the period.
The Falcon offense kicked into full gear in the second period. Emma Nordness tallied her 11th goal of the season at 1:20. Assisting Nordness on what proved to be the game winner was Breanne Hrabe (New Prague, MN, New Prague HS) and Kait Mason (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS).
The Sabres scored their only goal of the game at 3:02 on the stick of Devan Lesch. Amanda Reimann and Rachel Mullendore were awarded the assists.
Mason struck back for River Falls at 12:04 with her 11th goal of the season. The score game short-handed following a hooking penalty on Nordness. Assisting Mason on the goal was Judy Daleiden (Blaine, MN, Blaine HS).
Jamie Briski (Chisholm, MN, Hibbing-Chisholm HS) extended the Falcon lead 4-1 at 14:31 with a score. Briski was assisted by Daleiden and Jami Weiss (Hermantown, MN, Proctor-Hermantown HS).
The Falcons outshot the Sabres 18-7 in the period. The Falcons switched out Campbell, who made seven second period saves, with goaltender Shelby Rasmussen (Plymouth, MN, Wayzata HS) for the third period.
Briski struck again in the early minutes of the third. Weiss and Ashly Berner (Plymouth, MN, Armstrong HS) served the puck up to Briski who nailed her fifth goal of the season at 3:07.
Berner was later cited for a slashing penalty, but the Falcons paid little mind as Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS) sealed the deal with the team's sixth goal of the night at 9:55. The short-handed goal was Flanagan's 11th score of the season, and she was assisted by Mason.
The Falcons outshot the Sabres by a startling 23-5 in the third period. Rasmussen denied Marian on their shooting attempts. The Falcons totaled 65 shots throughout the game to the Sabres 16.
Mason finished with a three point game (1-2-3) while Briski (2-0-2), Weiss (0-2-2) and Deleiden (0-2-2) had two point nights.
The Falcons entered the game ranked No 1 in the nation. This is the first time the Falcon women have been ranked as the top team in the country in the program's history. River Falls has been ranked in the top 10 in the USCHO polls for the past 38 consecutive weeks, and is the only undefeated program in the nation.
The Falcons will face off against Marian again on Saturday at 2 p.m., at the Blue Line Family Ice Center. It will be the final game of the regular season for the two teams.
Box Score
