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This Week: The Saint Benedict hockey team comes off the biggest weekend in program history and returns home to host Hamline at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 7, before heading to St. Paul to take on the Pipers at 2 p.m., Feb. 8. After two wins last weekend, the Blazers enter the weekend with a 6-13-0 overall record and a 3-9-0 mark in MIAC play. The Pipers counter with a 4-13-2 record on the year and a 0-10-2 record in conference action.
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About the Pipers: Hamline is the only team in the MIAC yet to win a game, earning their only two points on the season with a pair of ties to St. Kate's and a surprising draw to St. Thomas. They're coming off a 3-1 nonconference win over UW-Eau Claire, but before lost three straight MIAC games. At just 1.74 goals per game, they rank last in the MIAC in scoring offense, while also allowing the most, with a goals against average of 3.70. The Pipers have yet to win a road game on the year, sitting 0-9-1, but are an even 4-4-1 at home heading into Saturday.
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Last Season: Hamline took the series over Saint Benedict last year winning 3-2 at home, before battling to a 0-0 tie in St. Cloud. In the first game, the Pipers ran out to a 3-0 third period lead before the Blazers mounted their comeback. CSB scored twice in the third period but it wasn't enough as Hamline held on. Then a day later the Blazers put up 42 shots but couldn't crack the scoreboard in a 0-0 tie.
Kaitlyn Rolando made 32 saves over her own in net to preserve the shutout.
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The Storyline: Can the Blazers build on two straight wins and avoid a let-down after their sweep of Gustavus last weekend? They proved they were able to come back and get a win last Saturday after the first big win on Friday night, but now they'll have to do it after a week away. Earlier this season, the Blazers swept Stevenson and then took a dominating 4-1 win from Augsburg at home, but then went on the road and fell 4-0. This time around, the Blazers need to take advantage of a struggling Hamline squad.
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Who to Watch: After anchoring the Blazers to last weeks' sweep with 73 saves in the two games,
Jenna Traut (St. Cloud, Minn.) in the reigning MIAC Player of the Week.
Stephanie Kirk (Minnetonka, Minn.) scored her team leading ninth of the season last week, and ranks fifth in the MIAC in goals scored.
Elli Marvin (Shoreview) is second on the team with 11 points, and was the only player to have a goal and assist in each game last weekend.
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Last Time Out: Last weekend was the biggest weekend in Blazer hockey history. Perennial power Gustavus came in ranked No. 7 in the nation and with a 33-0-0 record all time against the Blazers, but left the weekend with a pair of 4-2 losses, and fell out of the national rankings. Not only did the Blazers beat the Gusties for the first time in program history, they ended their 30-game MIAC winning streak, and became the first MIAC team to sweep them in a decade.