Bednar Scores Lone Goal as Trailblazers Fall 5-1 to Salem State

SALEM, Mass. – The MCLA Women's Ice Hockey team dropped their opening game of the Viking Cup Tournament to the host Salem State 5-1 this evening at the Rockett Arena. Alexandrea Bednar scored the Trailblazers' lone goal, while five different players scored for the Vikings.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Friday, December 8, 2023
• Score: MCLA 1, Salem State 5
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 2-10-0 (ECHA 0-4-0) | Salem State Vikings 4-8-0 (NEHC 2-4-0)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Salem State was the first one on the scoreboard with just over five minutes remaining in the first period, scoring on a second-chance opportunity after Jessica Robert spun and got off a shot toward MCLA goalie Katie O'Brien. O'Brien knocked the shot down, but the Vikings' Makayla McGrath was battling a pair of Trailblazer defenders in front of the net and was able to push the rebound across before O'Brien could pounce on it.
• In the second period, Salem State added three power-play goals. The goals were credited to Brenna Greene (at 4:03, assisted by Aislinn Bennett), Catherine Lawrence (at 5:28, Alexis Thomas), and Bennett (at 11:38, Deanna Bosco and Lawrence).
• With exactly six minutes remaining in the second period, MCLA finally broke through against the Salem State defense with a goal by Alexandrea Bednar. As the Vikings were cycling through in their offensive end, one of their players was careless in leaving a puck for a teammate just inside the blue line and didn't see Bednar coming out to force the play. With the Viking players both looking to the other to take the puck, Bednar snuck in between them, skated through the neutral zone, and slapped off a low shot to the goalie's blocker side.
• Salem State added one more goal in the third period for the final advantage. The goal was scored by Isabelle Besser (16:39, unassisted).
• O'Brien finished the game with 41 saves but still saw her record drop to 1-3-0. Kaia Hollingsworth saved 24 of the 25 shots she faced and improved to 4-6-0.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Shots: MCLA 25, Salem State 46
• Saves: MCLA 41, Salem State 24
• Faceoffs Won: MCLA 21, Salem State 49
• Penalty/Minutes: MCLA 3/9:00, Salem State 3/6:00
• Power Plays: MCLA 0 for 3, Salem State 3 for 5

UP NEXT:

On Saturday, MCLA will be back in action when they wrap up the Salem State Viking Cup Tournament with a matchup in the consolation game against Lebanon Valley College at the Rockett Arena. The puck will drop at 1 p.m.

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