CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. — Brette Pettet’s third period goal gave No. 1 Wisconsin broke a tie with Robert Morris en route to a 3-1 victory in the first game of the ‘Battle at the Burgh’ tournament on Saturday night at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
The story of the game was not the play of the top team in the nation, but that of Colonials first-year net-minder Raygan Kirk. The St. Anne, Manitoba native stopped 39-of-42 in the loss, with an argument for non-fault on all three of the goals.
“She’s a gamer,” associate head coach Logan Bittle said. “She’s played in a lot of big games in her career with her junior team and Team Canada. We knew that she would be ready to go and she obviously showed that. She was spectacular and the game’s probably not as close as it was if she didn’t she didn’t make the saves that she did.”
The first was off the stick of dynamic forward Daryl Watts, who found a puck in the crease and fired it over the sprawling goaltender. Pettet’s goal was a spectacular inside-outside move that the forward slid through the pads of the net minder, and the final goal was a tipped shot in front by Sophie Shirey.
Robert Morris defender Emily Curlett scored the Colonials only goal of the contest, a power-play tally that bounced off of both posts and in.
YOU AGAIN!
The loss, although a tough, has a silver lining as the Colonials matchup will be with Colgate. The Raiders added former Colonials assistant coach Chelsea Walkland in the offseason, and it will be the first game between the parties involved since.
Wisconsin will face No. 3 Northeastern at 5:00 in the championship game at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
