By John RittenhouseThe Luverne girls? hockey team let a two-goal advantage slip away during Friday?s season-opening game in New Ulm.Luverne junior Natalie Domagala netted a pair of unassisted goals in the first 4:03 of the game to give the Cardinals an early lead.The Eagles, however, used a four-point performance from Tiffany Hoffman to edge LHS 5-3 in the end.New Ulm rallied to tie the game at two before the first period was complete and took a 3-2 lead when Hoffman scored her second goal of the game after being set up by Jocelyn Janni with 10:00 left in the second period.Luverne bounced back to tie the game at three when Chessa Ossefoort scored after being set up by Sadie Dietrich with 3:00 left in the second stanza, but New Ulm?s Liz Bode netted an unassisted goal one minute later to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead they wouldn?t relinquish.New Ulm received an insurance goal from Angie Sieffert with 4:35 left in the third period. Hoffman and Danielle Bode received assists for the game?s final goal.The Cardinals started the game on a promising note as Domagala found the net with unassisted goals at the 15:54 and 12:57 marks of the first period.Hoffman scored an unassisted goal at 11:57 before setting up a goal by Danielle Bode that tied the game at two with 7:00 remaining in the opening period.Although New Ulm outshot the Cards 40-26 in the contest, LHS coach Dave Siebenahler was happy with the way his girls played in the opener."I think we played very well," he said. "This probably was a game we should have won."Sara Schneekloth minded the net for LHS. She stopped 35 of 40 shots in her first varsity start.Luverne hosts Marshall for its Southwest Conference opener Dec. 4.
