ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team kicked off the 2019-20 season with a big nonconference win over a MIAC rival Friday night.
 
CSB went down 1-0 early, but ended up scoring back-to-back goals in the first period and an empty-netter in the third for good measure in a 3-1 win over Concordia Friday in St. Cloud. The win marks the second straight over the Cobbers – who were picked to finish fifth in the MIAC preseason poll – and just the fourth since the 2002-03 season.
 
It was the Cobbers who got on the board early in the game when Maiah McCowan found the back of the net at the 5:11 mark. But the Bennies went on to outshoot Concordia 12-9 in the first period, and took a lead they would never give up thanks to a pair of goals within 40 seconds of each other in the 13^th minute of the game.
 
Mollie Wise sent a pass in to Courtney Conlin from the right wing at the 13:12 mark, and Conlin buried the puck in the net for Saint Benedict's first goal of the season. Forty-one seconds later, Julia Pias notched her first goal of the season when she took the puck from Annika Brodt at center ice, and skated in on Concordia's goal and sent the puck over her left shoulder.
 
CSB had the chance to gain a two-goal lead thanks to a power play later in the period, but Concordia made several saves and the score stayed 2-1 after the first period.
 
Concordia's offense woke up in the second period, but CSB goalie Maggie Gilchrist made 13 saves to keep the score at 2-1. The Cobbers kept the puck in the Saint Benedict zone much of the period, and Gilchrist made seven straight saves at one point before the team could clear the zone and get a faceoff. CSB had another power play chance, but couldn't find the back of the net to end the period.
 
The third period was all Saint Benedict as the Bennies had 13 shots on net to the Cobbers' seven. Concordia pulled its goalie with 36 seconds left to play to get a one-skater advantage, but CSB's defense kept the puck out of its zone, and Mollie Wise got the puck, skated down and tapped it in for an empty-net goal to ice the game with four seconds left.
 
CSB finished with 35 shots on net to the Cobbers 29. Gilchrist finished the first game of her sophomore season with 28 saves. Brodt had five shots on net and Annie Luzum and Myka Stave both finished with four.
 
CSB is off now until Friday, Nov. 15, when the team starts MIAC play at home against Bethel. CSB is hosting its annual Alumnae Game Sunday, Nov. 10, at 1:15 p.m. at the MAC in St. Cloud.