The Cardinal girls' hockey team survived a scare last Thursday night but held on to beat River Lakes 5-4 for their 18th-straight game without a loss.
The Cardinals held a 5-1 lead going into the final period, but the Stars came out with a flurry in the third and put three goals up in a three-minute span late in the period.
With the win the Cardinals wrapped up their third consecutive Central Lakes Conference title.
Abby Williams got Alexandria on the board early with a goal three minutes into the opening period on an assist by Kathryn DelZoppo and Michelle Anez.
It was in the second that the Cardinals took control of the game, scoring four goals, including another by Williams 14 minutes into the period.
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DelZoppo wasted no time giving her team a 2-0 lead when she found the back of the net just more than two minutes into the period. River Lakes' Jenn Paul cut that lead in half a minute later to give the Stars some momentum.
Whatever momentum they had, though, would shift to the Cardinals midway through the period as Ally Nielsen, Williams and Ashley Holmes scored consecutive goals to push the lead to 5-1. As it turned out, they would need every one of those to hold off the Stars.
Danielle Justice recorded 32 saves but allowed a season high four goals. It comes in a win nonetheless, though, as the Cardinals moved to 18-1-2 on the season.
SCORING SUMMARY
ALEXANDRIA 1 4 0 5
RIVER LAKES 0 1 3 4
FIRST PERIOD - 3:01, Abby Williams (A) assisted by Kathryn DelZoppo, Michelle Anez
SECOND PERIOD - 2:36, Kathryn DelZoppo (A) assisted by Abby Williams; 3:36, Jenn Paul (RL) assisted by Greta Omann, Alyssa Kemper; 8:28, Ally Nielsen (A) assisted by Nikki Ecklund; 14:02, Abby Williams (A) assisted by Kathryn DelZoppo, Michelle Anez; 15:58, Ashley Holmes (A) unassisted
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THIRD PERIOD - 11:40, Greta Omann (RL) assisted by Jenn Paul, Abbie Rhoda; 12:24, Courtney Schirmers (RL) unassisted; 14:00, Abbie Rhoda (RL) assisted by Traci Thielen
GOALKEEPERS - Alexandria - Danielle Justice - 32 saves, 4 goals allowed; River Lakes - Tracy Skluzacek - 26 saves, 5 goals allowed
