EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Despite goals from Aurora Opsahl, Ava Stinnett and Brooklyn Johnson, the College of Saint Benedict hockey team (0-1) dropped a closely contested 4-3 nonconference decision to UW-Eau Claire (1-0) in the season opener for both teams on Friday night at the Dobbs Ice Arena.

The Bennies will look to bounce back against the Blugolds on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m., game on the schedule in Eau Claire.

Aside from the goals from Opsahl, Stinnett and Johnson, who had the first of her career, CSB had two assists from Sydney Hunst and another by Sami Boerboom.

UW-EC, which scored twice late to break a 2-2 third period tie, had a 60-to-20 edge in shots, including 31-to-7 in the final period. UWEC was 1-of-4 in power play goals while the Bennies finished 0-of-4. The home-standing Blugolds also had a 47-to-28 edge in face-offs.

Sophomore CSB goalie Kate Moffat had 56 saves, including 29 in the third period. For UW-EC, Josie Mathison had 17 saves, including seven in the opening period.

Game Summary
At 8:33 of the opening period, Opsahl, who was All-MIAC in 2022-23, started the scoring with an unassisted goal. Opsahl, who had a team-high three shots in the game, recorded her 18^th career goal on the even strength score. UW-EC answered with a power play goal by Eden Gruber, which tied the game at 1-1. Sydney Johnson and Sadie Long assisted on the score for the Blugolds.

At 5:44 of the second period, UW-EC took a 2-1 lead on an even strength goal by Long, who was assisted on the play by Sydney Johnson.

Early in the third period (4:23), the Bennies drew even with Blugolds on Johnson's first-career goal. Assisting on the even strength goal was sophomore Sydney Hunst, who recorded the first of two assists on the night.

UW-EC broke the tie later in the third period on a pair of even strength goals from Sophie Rausch at 15:32 and 17:15. CSB junior forward Ava Stinnett finished off the scoring for CSB with an even strength goal at 19:48 of the final period. Stinnett's first goal of the season gave her 13 in her career. Assisting on Stinnett's goal was Hunst and Sami Boerboom.