WINONA, Minn. – Momentum swings were the story of the game for the College of Saint Benedict hockey team Saturday afternoon in its MIAC Quarterfinal against Saint Mary's in Winona. 
 
The Cardinals took a three-goal lead thanks in part to two goals in the first minute of the second period, but the Bennies swung the momentum their way with three straight goals. CSB appeared to have the momentum again late in the game with the puck in the Cardinals' zone and the offense firing on all cylinders, but an empty net goal deflated that momentum and ended the game.
 
Saint Benedict – making its first MIAC Tournament appearance since 2001-02 – ended its season with a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals Saturday. The Bennies end the season 10-12-1 overall, just the seventh time in program history the team has recorded double-digit wins.
 
Saint Mary's (13-9-2) took an early lead Saturday with a goal in the eighth minute of the first. Shots were even in the first period, with the Cardinals recording 17 and the Bennies 16. Saint Benedict's offense took over in the second – but it took a few minutes to get going.
 
The Cardinals took a 3-0 lead after scoring two goals a minute apart in the first three minutes of the game. The Bennies, however, ended the period outscoring the Cardinals 19-9, and they cut that lead to 3-2 thanks to a pair of second-period goals. Senior Annika Brodt got the team on the board at the 6:09 mark off assists from Jamie Benzie and Addy Hackley, and Isabelle Heim made it a one-goal game at 17:27 when she made it 3-2 off an assist from Hackley.
 
The Bennies tied the game five minutes into the third when Brodt scored her second goal of the game, this time off an assist from Jenna Timm. Saint Mary's took a 4-3 lead midway through the period when the it went top shelf over goalie Ally Frantzick's right shoulder, but CSB wasn't giving up. The Bennies had 13 third-period shots – but SMU was able to hold on. Still down 4-3, CSB pulled Frantzick with just over two minutes to go, and had the puck in the Cardinals' zone with lots of shots on net. Saint Mary's got the puck and was able to skate up to the blue line and take a long shot to ice the game with an empty net goal at the 18:32 mark.
 
CSB finished the game outshooting the Cardinals 35-24. Ava Stinnett led the team with seven shots on net and Brodt had five. Maggie Gilchrist played the first 22 minutes in net and made seven saves, and Frantzick made 12 saves in the final two periods.
 
Saturday marked the final game for the team's four seniors: Brodt, Gilchrist, Julia Pias and Zoe Culshaw-Klein. The Cardinals move on to play either Bethel or Hamline in the MIAC Semifinals.