Myranda Hayes scored three times to lead second-ranked Central Wisconsin Storm to a 5-0 blanking of the Point-Rapids Red Panthers Tuesday night at Schofield's Greenheck Fieldhouse.
The Storm (3-1) got on the board just 1:19 into the first period on a controversial goal. P-R goalie Emily Bubla appeared to have covered the puck in her crease, but play continued as the refs did not blow their whistles, even though the puck seemed to be out of sight. As Bubla got pushed backwards into her net, the puck crossed the goal line and the officials signalled for a scored goal. Bubla stated her case, but the goal counted and was credited to Savannah Felch.
Though the Storm held the "territorial advantage" throughout the period, they skated to the locker room with a slim 1-0 lead after 17 minutes of play.
The Red Panthers were unable to score on two power plays early in the period, but Hayes would score for the Storm to make it a two-goal lead midway through the period. Skating in from the neutral zone, she rifled a shot from the slot area that beat the Red Panthers netminder at 8:10, with an assist to Sarah Poirier.
It looked like the guests would make it to the second break trailing by two scores, but the Storm had other ideas. First, Hayes scored from the low right side at 16:06, and then Isabelle Chmiel scored from the opposite side just 12 seconds later to increase the lead to 4-0.
After trading unsuccessful power play chances early in the third, the teams would not score until the Storm tallied for the final time at the 14:36 mark of the period. Hayes completed her hat trick when she came out of left corner, curled down to the lower left circle area and loosed a shot that trickled off Bubla's stick and into the net for an unassisted goal.
Cassandra Krueger (6) and Kristine Fonti (4) combined for ten saves, while Bubla stopped 27 shots for the Red Panthers (0-2).
The Storm will host the Sun Prairie Co-op Cougars Friday in Mosinee, while Point-Rapids will face New Richmond Saturday afternoon in Wisconsin Rapids.
