LA VERNE, Calif. — The Red Flash of Saint Francis University dropped their second game on a Spring Break trip by falling 17-11 to the Division III No. 3-ranked Leopards of La Verne University at Las Flores Pool.
The high-scoring affair got started quickly as Tina Bonilla was able to draw a penalty shot just over a minute into the match. Kelly Fehr (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) converted the penalty opportunity to give SFU the early lead. The Leopards would draw an exclusion on Melani Aghazarian (Glendale, Calif./Glendale (La Valley College)) and converted the first of seven power plays to tie the game at one. The Leopards would continue their hot hand on the power play, converting twice more in the quarter to stretch the lead out to 3-1. Fehr would strike again off a pass from Erin O’Neill (Landsdale, Pa./North Penn) to make it 3-2 Leopards at the end of one quarter.
Fehr would make it two hat tricks in three games to start the second, capitalizing on another power play to tie the match at three. After Amber Rogers (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) tied the match at four, La Verne closed the half on a three-goal binge to lead 7-4. The Red Flash had a bit of bad luck in that span as Fehr rang one off the post.
The Leopards would strike four more times in the opening three minutes of the third to open up their largest lead at 11-4. Emily Wickenheiser (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) got the first of her four on the power play to stop the Leopards run and struck again less than a minute later to make it 11-6. O’Neill would make it 11-7 on her first collegiate goal. The Flash would be down four heading into the fourth.
La Verne would stretch the lead back out to six at 13-7 with two quick goals to start the fourth. SFU would strike back with a trio of goals in 90 seconds, two by Wickenheiser and another by Kelsey Gring (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) to make it 13-10. The Flash could get no closer as two more LaVerne goals stretched the lead back out to five, a late Gring goal rounded out the Red Flash scoring.
The Leopards outshot the Red Flash 29-to-18. Both teams drew 11 exclusions with La Verne converting on seven of their 11 opportunities and SFU cashing in on four.
Release courtesy Saint Francis University Athletics Communications
