St. Cloud, Minn. – The Saint Benedict Hockey team suffered a 3-1 loss tonight (Nov. 22) against the now 1-3-0 (1-2-0 MIAC) Saint Mary's Cardinals. This was the Cardinals first win of the season as the Blazers fell to 0-4-0 (0-3-0 MIAC).

In the first period, the Cardinals outshot the Blazers with eight shots as the Blazers took only three. With the score still at 0-0, the two teams continued on to the second period, where the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead after doubling the Blazer's shots for the second period in a row.  

With 10 saves in the second period, Blazer goaltender Kaitlyn Rolando allowed two goals as the Blazers put up six more shots. The second came with just eight seconds left in the period, turning a 1-0 game into a two-goal Cardinal lead heading into the final period.

In the third, the two teams battled hard for the lead, and after Megan Brettingen (Mora, Minn.) brought the Blazers within one, the score sat at 2-1 with under four minutes remaining. The Blazers took 11 shots this period compared to the Cardinal's nine. 

With just over two minutes remaining, the Blazers pulled their goalie with hopes of tying the game. The Cardinals, though, then locked away the win with a goal on the empty net to put the score at 3-1. 

Brettingen led the Blazers tonight with four shots as Liz Hermes (Apple Valley, Minn.) added three. Brettingen's goal was her first of the season, making her the fifth different Blazer goal-scorer this season. Kaitlyn Rolando (Lake Elmo, Minn.) finished the night with 26 saves in the net and two goals allowed. 

The Blazer's will be back tomorrow to face off against the Cardinals once again in the same place, looking to tie the series at 1-1. After facing off tonight, the Blazers look to use their new knowledge of the Cardinals to pick up their first win of the season. The Blazers also started this series last year with a loss in the first game, and came back to win the second. The game will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon (Nov. 23) at the MAC.