Byron Center, Mich. — There is no love lost when the Aquinas women's hockey team plays Grand Valley State. The two local rivals squared off in another physical, penalty-filled CCWHA contest on Saturday night (Nov. 12) with the Saints coming away victorious, 3-2, on its home ice at the Southside Ice Arena.

GVSU (1-8) picked up its eighth loss on the year while Aquinas moved above .500 at 5-4 overall.

The opening period featured four of the five goals scored on Saturday. The Lakers struck first 2:23 into the game with Kayli Sassak finding the back of the net. A little over a minute later, the Saints answered with an unassisted goal scored by Darbi Poole. It was Poole's team-leading fifth goal of the season. 

Grand Valley regained the lead at 2-1 with 12:13 left in the first period on a goal by Abby Rubsam. 

Poole provided the pass that allowed Aquinas to level the game at 2-2 when Alyssa Exline scored her third goal of the season with 3:23 remaining in the first.

The teams went to the locker room tied 2-2 with only one penalty called in the first 20 minutes. That drastically changed over the final two minutes. By the end of the game, both teams were whistled for 10 penalties each — at one point in the third period, each team had three skaters in the penalty box at the same time.

Yet, all the penalties didn't make a major impact in the game with all the goals being scored even strength, including the game winner with 31 seconds left in the second period. Re-directing a shot from the point by towering defender Morgan Kozar, Reyna Dominczak notched what turned out to be the winner late in the second period. Jenna Blackwell picked up the second assist on the goal.

AQ junior goaltender Kadynce Romijn stopped 27 of the 29 shots she faced and turned aside eight shots in the final period to seal the victory. The Saints outshot GVSU 38-29.

Aquinas returns to action at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 13) with a road rematch against Grand Valley at the Griff's Georgetown.