Utah W1 drops first game to Midland

November 21, 2024 Salt Lake City, Utah The Utah Women’s Hockey team welcomed the Midland University Warriors to the Salt Lake County Sports Complex for the first of a three-game homestand. In a goal heavy game for the Warriors, Midland defeated the Utes 5-1.  First Period Midland started strong with possession in the Utah defensive zone. While the Skatin’ Utes would interrupt Midland’s passing to get the puck for themselves, it was never  long before being turned back over.  While Midland maintained control in the first minutes of the period, Utah was digilant in stopping the shots on goal. Utah had their spurts of quick aggressive plays as the Warriors kept the pressure on, but with no avail.  About 5 minutes into the period, Utah was starting to break ground and find their footing, keeping it an even battle with Midland. However, this was short lived as the Warriors came storming back with a goal by Kennedy Wood eight minutes into the period. Midland was quick with another goal by Jaicee Huberdeau under a minute later, leaving the Utes down by two halfway through the first.  Utah kept up the fight against Midland, continuously taking the puck into their offensive zone whenever they got the chance. This was quick to pay off, as the Utes came back with a goal by Lila Ellsworth 11 minutes into the first period.  The rest of the period was a back and forth battle on the ice, with both teams fighting hard to take away scoring opportunities from the other. Halle Hansen took off with a few solo breakways, but never found the openings in the net. Ava Kistner also made her presence known against the Midland defense, but was able to find the goal for Utah. A slashing penalty against Rylee Martin on the Warriors gave Utah a power play in the final 90 seconds of the period, with Kistner, Molly Murphy and Alexandra Bye all in the right positions to score, but nothing breached the Midland defense before the horn.  Second Period  Utah started off strong with a four-man advantage in the first 30 seconds of the period, but Warrior Rylee Martin rejoined the fight, taking away Utah’s short-lasted advantage. Midland put the pressure on Utah, with players continuously locked in battles against the boards for possession. Goalie Miranda De Antunano saw a lot of action in the first minutes, stopping and deflecting several powerful shots by the Warriors. Continuous attacks from the Warriors kept the Utes in a defensive position, with few openings available to clear the puck. Despite heavy Warrior presence in Utah territory, the back of the net stayed protected temporarily. But, as the Midland offense continued pressing against the Utes, a third goal for the Warriors slipped past, bringing the score to 3-1 for Midland University.  The majority of the rest of the period was spent in the Utah defensive zone. The Skatin’ Utes finally managed to find some openings in a sea of orange and blue Warriors, but just as they were gaining traction, another slashing penalty against Fisch left the Utes down a man in the final six minutes of the period. Throughout the power play for Midland, the Utes managed to hold steady without their fifth man.  A roughing penalty for Katie McNair on the Warriors brought the game to a four-on-four standoff, with several breakaways and shots by Halee Smith and Murphy chipping away at the Midland defense. Soon, Smith was back on the ice, putting the cards in Utah’s favor with a short power play. But, their upper hand Utah vanished as a slashing penalty on Morgan Lavalley and the fifth Midland player back on the ice put them at a disadvantage once again. For the remaining minutes of the period, Midland maintained the puck in their offensive zone, but couldn’t put it away against Utah. Just as the Utes managed to clear the puck, Lavalley exited the penalty box, finding herself alone with a shot opportunity in the Utes offensive zone. She took a Hail Mary shot in the final seconds of the period, but with to no avail, leaving the score 3-1 going into the third period.  Third Period On the puck drop, the Utes got the jump on Midland. Utah entered the ice with a new fire in them, but a fourth penalty of the game served by Sophia Geron put them at a drawback once again. Midland saw their opportunity and took it, scoring their fourth goal of the game just a few minutes into the period.  Midland continued putting pressure on Utah’s defense, but breakouts from the Utah offense managed to sneak through and counter against the Warriors attack. A tripping penalty for Hansen temporarily took her off the ice 7 minutes into the third, giving Midland their second power play of the period. The Warriors continued to sit in Utah’s zone during Hansen’s absences, but she took charge as she returned to the ice.  As the battle continued, Midland made the push into the Utes defensive zone. A one-timer shot from the Warriors flew into the back of the net, marking the fifth and final goal for the Warriors. Just after the goal by Midland, another tripping penalty was served by Bye in the final 10 minutes of the match. Down to four players on the ice once again, the Utes had trouble escaping their defensive zone for long. Despite a slew of penalties and five goals against them, the Utes kept fighting for possession of the puck, keeping Warrior goalie Meghan Stewart on her toes. Hansen and Kistner lead the charge against the Warriors, creating offensive openings for Utah. However, another tripping penalty in the final minute on Utah’s Cassandra Haley put a dent in their armor once again. Hansen attempted to score in a final push for the Utes, but the clock ran out, making the final score on day one of the matchup against Midland 5-1.  What’s Next Utah will face the Midland Warriors for their second of three games this weekend tomorrow at 4:30pm. MDT on their home turf at the Salt Lake County Sports Complex. To stay updated, you can tune into the Utah Hockey Youtube channel, where the game will be streamed live.  Tickets for all games can be found here.