St. Cloud, Minn. – The Saint Benedict hockey team faced off against the No. 9 team in the country Friday night (Jan. 10) in UW-Superior, falling 5-1 to a team that hasn't lost in over a month.
 
The Yellowjackets (10-2-4) scored twice in the first period and twice more in the second on their way to the win, piling up shots from right in the crease along the way. The Blazers (4-8-0) came out firing – riding their own hot streak of four wins in six games – and took the first six shots of the game, but were unable to get the first goal and the momentum.
 
In the game's sixth minute, the Yellowjackets broke through, taking a 1-0 lead on Karen Larson's ninth goal of the season. Then less than 10 minutes later Larson made it 10 on the season to put the Yellowjackets up 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
 
Midway through the second, the Blazers' made their move to get back into the game, as Emma Carlsson Sandelin (Stockholm, Sweden) knocked home a loose puck right in front of the net to bring her team within one at 2-1.
 
The momentary momentum was short-lived, however, as the Yellowjackets scored twice more in the final eight minutes of the period, effectively putting the game away as they went into the final period up 4-1.
 
Undeterred though, the Blazers continued to battle into the third, outshooting the Yellowjackets 10-to-8 in the period, but their best efforts were continually thwarted by UWS netminder Shanley Peters, who finished with 23 saves on the night.
 
They would go on to add a fifth and final goal in the third, but Blazer goaltender Jenna Traut (St. Cloud, Minn.) was on top of her game stopping several quality attempts in a high-paced third period.
 
The Blazers fall for just the third time since Nov. 30, but will look for the split tomorrow when they square off with the ninth ranked Yellowjackets Saturday (Jan. 11) in Superior, Wis. The puck drops at 7 p.m.