St. Cloud, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team suffered their first loss of the season tonight (Nov. 8), 3-2 against conference opponent St. Thomas.
The Blazers (1-1-2, 0-1-0 MIAC) entered tonight's game after a come from behind 1-1 tie in nonconference action against MIAC opponent St. Olaf. Today's game remained scoreless after one, despite St. Thomas outshooting the Blazers 9-5 and controlling most of the action. Saint Benedict encountered a relentless Tommie offense to start the second with St. Thomas (2-1-0, 1-0-0 MIAC) scoring just eight seconds into the period. The goal occurred on the power play as Blazer forward
Ashley Olson served two minutes for cross-checking. St. Thomas extended their lead to two with another power play goal less than two minutes after their first.
The Blazer offense came alive with a sense of urgency and brought the game within one with just over eight minutes left in second. Saint Benedict's goal came from sophomore forward
Tara Frey on a pass from
Megan Lawry. The goal was Frey's first of the season. With just under four minutes left, the Saint Benedict penalty kill was put to work again as first-year
Natalie Tinucci was called for cross-checking. Junior goaltender
Kaitlyn Rolando came up big for the Blazers stopping a barrage of point blank shots on the Tommie power play, sending her team to the locker down by one goal after two periods of play.
Saint Benedict took the ice for the third being outshot by St. Thomas 17-to-15 at this point of the game. St. Thomas struck first, scoring just under three minutes into the period to extend their lead to two. Saint Benedict answered back three minutes later with an even strength goal from Frey, her second of the game. She was assisted by Lawry once again. The Blazer offense brought on a relentless attack for the remainder of the game putting up 14 total shots in the third period alone. With just under five minutes left in regulation the Saint Benedict power play went to work on a 5-on-3 man advantage. Saint Benedict was unable to connect on the power play as Tommie goaltender Alise Riedel kept the St. Thomas lead.
Saint Benedict outshot St. Thomas 29-to-25 and took 35 of the 68 face-offs. Rolando stopped 22 shots in tonight's loss, her first of her 2012-13 campaign.
The Blazers resume MIAC action at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10 in Mendota Heights, Minn. as they take on St. Thomas.
