Both Lawrence University Ice Hockey teams battled it out against Marian University this past weekend. To both teams, the rivalry built along the highway holds a lot of team and university pride.
“From the moment that the referees drop the puck, the game takes on a life of its own,” sophomore goaltender Ella Sciborski said, explaining why this rivalry is so meaningful. “The intensity, grittiness and excitement make the conference points at stake hold so much more weight.”
The Lawrence Women’s Ice Hockey team split with Marian this past weekend, taking both games into overtime followed by a shootout.
In the first game, Marian led 1-0 after scoring five minutes into the game. A Lawrence goal happened while on the penalty kill as senior forward Aislinn O’Hagan assisted first-year forward Leina Quiniou’s shorthanded goal. The score stayed 1-1 through overtime that resulted in a loss in shootouts for the Vikes.
The second game saw an overtime victory for Lawrence! The entire game was scoreless through regulation and overtime, so the score was 0-0 going into the shootout. First-year forward Reese Deibert gave Lawrence a 1-0 lead in the second round as she beat Marian’s goaltender. Sophomore goaltender Sarah Dobrzynski blocked Marian’s next attacker to leave it to senior defender Beth McArthur, who won the game for the Vikings! Dobrzynski had an amazing performance, stopping 34 shots.
“This season has been marked by significant growth and achievement for our team,” said Sciborski. “It has truly been a historic year, with remarkable milestones across the board […] This year our focus has been on dominating teams that we know we can. Specifically, against Marian, being in such close proximity, it makes for an intense rivalry.”
The Men’s Ice Hockey team also split with Marian but won “The Battle of 41” in a tiebreaking shootout to secure the traveling trophy for another year.
“For the guys, winning this weekend is about tradition. We have a long history with Marian, and every win becomes a new chapter in that story,” junior forward Robby Pustulka said. He expressed just how important beating Marian is. “The boys know we’re not just playing for ourselves, but playing for the alumni who wore the Lawrence crest before us, for the fans who pack the stands and for the future players who will carry on with the Battle of 41.”
Sophomore defender Jacob Jakusz exclaimed, “We have an incredible group of guys here at Lawrence […] For our team, it’s a huge weekend!” He added, “The boys are excited and looking forward to keeping the trophy in Appleton for another year!”
The series started with a 5-2 win for the Vikings! An early goal by sophomore forward Carter Cloutier put Lawrence up 1-0 just 40 seconds into the game. Other Lawrence goal scorers included first-year forward Hayden Johnson, junior defenders Jayden Jensen and Cristian Tallarico, and senior defender Will Crull. Senior forward Jack Michels assisted four goals, tying the second-highest game total in school history. Sophomore goaltender Nolan Mahaffey got the win for the Vikings by making 33 saves.
The second game in the series ended with a 3-4 loss for Lawrence. The team trailed 0-3 in the second period but was able to fight back when Cloutier scored during a Vikings power play. After an early goal in the third period by Marian, Cloutier scored his second power play goal of the night followed by yet another power play goal by sophomore forward Miles McCue. Unfortunately, the Vikings couldn’t find the net again by the end of the game, so Marian took the win. The split meant that the game would go to a shootout to determine who would be keeping the trophy for another year. Marian sent their first puck wide of the net as they started the shootout. McCue went top shelf to put Lawrence up 1-0. Mahaffey made a save and blocked the next shot from Marian, and Michels scored in the five-hole to win it for the Vikings.
The Vikings and Sabres rivalry will continue for many years to come. We look forward to watching both Lawrence teams dominate along Highway 41!