ST. CLOUD, Minn. – For one period, the College of Saint Benedict hockey team played stride for stride with UW-Eau Claire. Then in the second period, penalties took its toll on Saint Benedict and the Blugolds pulled away.
 
UWEC – which is receiving votes in Division III in the preseason USCHO coaches' poll – took advantage of power plays, including several 5-on-3 opportunities, to pull away for a 6-0 win over CSB in the season-opener for both teams in the MAC in St. Cloud.
 
The Blugolds (1-0) held 15-6 advantage in shots in the first period, but junior goalie Julia Carle made 14 saves for CSB to keep her team in the game. Eau Claire scored in the 16^th minute on a power play to go up 1-0, but despite the disparity in shots, the first period ended with UWEC up 1-0.
 
Penalties got the best of Saint Benedict (0-1) in the second period as the Blugolds scored three goals, including two on power plays. Eau Claire's first goal of the period came at even strength in the 11^th minute, but CSB got called for cross checking and checking penalties, and UWEC made it 3-0 two minutes later on a 5-on-3.
 
Late in the second period CSB got called for tripping and then interference, and in the 19^th minute Eau Claire scored its second 5-on-3 goal to go up 4-0. The Blugolds added two more even-strength goals in the third period – one in the 13^th minute and on in the 16^th minute – for the final score.
 
Eau Claire finished the night with 47 shots on net to CSB's 13, and Carle finished the night with 41 saves for CSB. Kimberly Patterson finished with three shots on net for CSB and Mollie Wise, Maddie Dockry and Brigette Miller each had two. CSB finished with six penalties to UWEC's four.
 
Saint Benedict looks to rebound from the season-opening loss at 3 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Concordia-Wisconsin in another nonconference matchup.