ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict hockey team hung with No. 4 UW-River Falls through two wild periods Tuesday evening, but the Falcons' special teams proved to be too much for the Bennies in the third period.
The game was tied after one and CSB was down just one after two periods, but River Falls scored three unanswered goals in the third and the Bennies fell 7-3 at the MAC in St. Cloud. Tuesday's game wrapped up nonconference play for Saint Benedict, which is now 9-8-1 overall with four games left in the regular season.
CSB outshot the Falcons (21-1) 11-7 in the first period, and took a 1-0 lead on one of the best teams in Division III when
Brynn Sexauer scored on the power play in the 10
th minute of the game. She took a pass from
Corrine Brown and got the puck over the goalie's skate and into the back of the net. The Falcons tied it up in the final minute of the period after getting a faceoff to the right of CSB goalie
Ally Frantzick and burying a shot over her shoulder.
First year
Sami Boerboom put the Bennies up 2-1 at the 3:09 mark of the second off an assist from
Isabelle Heim, and that lead held for 10 minutes until River Falls' penalty kill unit came on. The Falcons were called for body checking at the 12:56 mark, and 13 seconds later they scored their first short-handed goal of the game. The second game less than 40 seconds later to make it a 3-2 game.
Boerboom tied the game with her second goal of the night at the 17:09 mark – this one off an assist from
Jenna Timm – but that tie lasted just over a minute before the Falcons' special teams hit again – this time their power-play unit. River Falls scored the eventual game-winner at the 18:19 mark of the second.
The third period was all River Falls as the Falcons scored a trio of goals – including two more shorthanded goals. The final came with an empty net on the Bennies' end of the ice.
Frantzick just missed her career high as she had 45 saves Tuesday night. River Falls finished the night with 52 shots to CSB's 20. After outshooting the Falcons 11-7 in the first, the Bennies had just nine in the final two periods.
Ava Stinnett finished with four shots and Boerboom had three for CSB.
The Bennies are back at home and return to MIAC play Friday, Feb. 11, when they host St. Olaf for the first of two games at 7 p.m. at the MAC. The two teams play at 2 p.m. Saturday in Northfield.
