Women's Hockey | 01/26/2018
ST.JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team returns to home ice to open a home-and-home MIAC series against St. Catherine's on Friday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the MAC in St. Cloud. The teams will complete the series Saturday when they travel down to St. Paul for 2 p.m. tilt at Drake Arena.
A bus funded by CSB Senate will pick hockey fans up at 7 p.m. at Gorecki on the CSB campus, take them to the game, then return them to campus following the game.
About St. Catherine's
The Wildcats (4-12-1, 3-6-1 MIAC) enters the series after seeing a four-game unbeaten streak come to an end on Jan. 23 when they suffered a tight 1-0 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Before that loss, St. Kate's had not lost since Jan. 6, earning three wins and a tie in that span. The streak of success lifted the Wildcats out of the bottom of the conference standings, moving them from 10
th to seventh.
St. Kate's is lead statistically by junior Laken Muller who has 15 points on the season, scoring seven goals and eight assists. First year Emilee Anderson is close behind with six goals in her debut season, while Muller's classmate Tori Thompson also has eight assists to tie for the team lead. Senior goaltender Kristen Pechacek has held down the fort between the pipes for the most part this season, earning a 3-9-0 record. She's racked up a .926 save percentage, which is fourth best in the MIAC. First year Bryce Boreen has also seen time between the pipes, amassing a 1-2-1 record in four games played. Boreen also has an impressive save percentage of .915 and has only allowed 10 goals.
Last Year
CSB was unbeaten against the Wildcats last season, earning a tie and a win. In the opening game,
Mollie Wise tied the game 16:40 into the second period after CSB gave up a power play goal a little over five minutes earlier. Saint Benedict was helped by the team staying out of the box after giving up the power play goal.
On Saturday, CSB scored three unanswered goals to lift themselves over the Wildcats. St. Catherine's scored first, again on the power play, to open the scoring.
Courtney Conlin converted on a pass from
Brigette Miller to tie the game, and two CSB goals in the second period, including a power play goal from
Shelby Schneider, sealed the 3-2 win for Saint Benedict.
Who to Watch
Senior forward
Brigette Miller continues to set the pace on offense, leading the team with seven goals and four assists good enough for 11 points. First year
Riley Schneider is having a fantastic season, racking up seven points, with two goals and five assists. First-year goaltender
Kailee Medved has remained strong between the pipes, only allowed 26 goals on 245 shots seen. Medved has accumulated a .904 save percentage in her eight starts.
The Storyline
Saint Benedict is hoping to return to the win column when they return to home ice, as the team's last win was Jan. 11 when they defeated Bethel 3-2. CSB faces a tough closing schedule following their match up with the Wildcats, as its final three opponents will be Augsburg, St. Thomas, and Gustavus who are fifth, fourth, and second, respectively, in MIAC standings.
