ST.JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team is preparing to square off against MIAC foe Saint Mary's for a pair of games this weekend at Dave Torrey Arena. CSB (0-5-1, 0-3-1 MIAC) and the Cardinals (3-4, 1-3 MIAC) face each other at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 and then again Saturday with a 4 p.m. match-up.
About Saint Mary's
The Cardinals enter this weekend's series on a three-game losing streak after starting their season 3-1. The Cardinals pulled off a 3-1 upset against then-No. 8 St. Thomas on Nov. 11. Since that win, however, the Cardinals have been outscored 9-2 in their three losses. Saint Mary's has struggled on the road this season, going 0-2 so far away from their own barn.
Saint Mary's is led by junior forward Bailey Wendt, who has accounted for just shy of half of the teams' scoring in the first seven games. Wendt has scored six of the team's 13 goals thus far, and leads the team with seven points. Senior Molly Abraham and sophomore Anya Hafiz are the only other players to notch more than one goal, each scoring two. Junior Ashley Corcoran has seen a majority of the action for the Cardinals, posting a 2-3 record in her five games started. She has a 2.43 goals against average and an impressive .914 save percentage on 127 saves.
Last Year
Both of CSB and Saint Mary's games last year went the full distance as they both required overtime to settle a victor. Saint Mary's won the first game 4-3 in OT, despite CSB erasing an early three-goal deficit. The two teams would play to a 2-2 tie in the second overtime game after the Cardinals tied the game with just 54 seconds remaining in the game, erasing a 2-1 CSB lead that held since early in the second period.
Who to Watch
Seven CSB players have one goal thus far this season with Riley Schneider, Kennedy Hageness, and Brigette Miller, and Shelby Schneider all contributing a goal and an assist thus far. The team's offense has been spread fairly evenly among the ranks, with 11 players notching at least one point thus far. Julia Carle has been integral for CSB, and is leading the MIAC in saves with 179.
The Storyline
Saint Benedict is still looking for its first win of the season, but the team has been improving each game. The team has scored at least a goal in its last three games, and tied St. Olaf 3-3 in the last outing before the Thanksgiving holiday break. The team has seen success in the faceoff circle, winning 52 percent of puck drops.
