St. Cloud, Minn. - The Saint Benedict hockey team (0-1-0) dropped its home-opener today, losing 7-3 at the hands of the No. 8 ranked St. Norbert's College Green Knights (2-0-0).
 
Despite the lopsided final score, the Blazers controlled the first period. They skated aggressively out of the gates, eager for a chance to prove themselves against the nationally ranked Green Knights. First-year forward Elli Marvin (Shoreview, Minn.) put the Blazers up 1-0 in the eighth minute of the first period, scoring unassisted. The goal was the first of Marvin's career in her first year removed from a storied career at Mounds View High School.
 
Four minutes later first-year forward Stephanie Kirk (Minnetonka, Minn.) gave the Blazers another goal, assisted by Marvin, that put the Blazers up 2-0. Kirk would go on to score again in the second period, giving her two goals in her debut as a Blazer.
 
The Green Knights rallied back to score a goal of their own just 20 seconds later from senior forward Stephanie Slinde. The goal was Slinde's first of the year and was assisted by senior forward Zoe Kurth and senior forward Henriette Ostergaard.
 
After the first intermission the Green Knights came out firing, whipping out 24 shots and scoring four goals in that period alone. Ostergaard scored unassisted at the 6:48 mark to tie the game at two goals apiece. Kirk added her second goal of the game at 12:33 for the Blazers, but that's where their scoring would stop. The Blazers spent 10 minutes combined as a team in the penalty box en route to being outscored 4-1 in the second period.
 
The Green Knights got two goals from first-year forward Rachel Kopping and one more from Ostergaard in the period to give the Green Knights a 5-3 lead heading into the second intermission.
 
The nationally ranked Green Knight defense shut down the Blazers in the third, holding them to 10 shots in the period. Another goal by Slinde and a goal from sophomore forward Lauren Roethlisberger gave the Green Knights two more goals to round out their 7-3 victory.
 
Senior goalie Kaitlyn Rolando (Lake Elmo, Minn.) made 38 saves on 45 Green Knight shots, the second-most shots she has seen in her collegiate career.
 
The loss is the first time in Head Coach Jennifer Kranz's career that the Blazers have dropped a home-opener.
 
The Blazers will return to action in two weeks when they will host St. Olaf's in their MIAC opener on Friday Nov. 15. Face-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.