Women's Hockey | 11/14/2014

KJNB Radio Broadcast | Live Stats

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team opens its home and MIAC seasons Friday night when it hosts St. Olaf College. The Blazers had three nonconference contests to warm up for the MIAC opener, and finished the early nonconference portion of its schedule with a 1-2 record.
 
This Week: The Blazers open MIAC play with a home/away series against St. Olaf. Friday's home opener is at 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud, Minn. Saturday afternoon, Saint Benedict is on the road for a 2 p.m. game against the Oles in Northfield, Minn.
 
About the Oles: The Oles finished the 2013-14 season with a6-18-1 overall record and a 6-11-1 mark in the MIAC. St. Olaf is 0-2 so far this season after dropping a pair of games to perennial WIAC favorite UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers won 7-1 and 5-1 in a pair of games in Northfield on Halloween weekend. Devyn Hotho and Drue Engleman each have a goal to their name and Jane Vezina recorded both assists. Three different goalies have seen time in net for St. Olaf.
 
Last Meeting: The Oles swept the home/away series in 2013-14, defeating the Blazers 3-2 in St. Cloud and again 6-2 the next night in Northfield. The two teams were tied late in the first game, but St. Olaf scored on a power play with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Stephanie Kirk scored both goals for the Blazers. Siri Berg-Moberg scored for Saint Benedict in the second game of the series and Dory Johnson made 25 saves.
 
The Storyline: Both teams are looking to start their MIAC seasons with a win, and the Blazers are looking to impress their home fans in their first time on the ice at the MAC in 2014-15. Both teams missed the conference playoffs last season, and both are looking to change that this year. Starting the year with a win – or a sweep – of a conference opponent would go a long way for either team.
 
Who to Watch: Sophomore Stephanie Kirk picked up where she left off last season and leads the team with two goals in three games so far in 2014-15. Kirk led the team with 11 goals as a first year, and she has two of the team's six goals so far. She also has one assist and leads the team with three points. Elli Marvin has two points with one goal and one assist to her name. Jenna Traut has been solid in goal, and has 99 saves in three games played. She also owns a .908 save percentage.