ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The (RV) College of Saint Benedict hockey team enters the MIAC Playoffs with momentum and motivation. At 14-7-4 overall, the Bennies make their fifth MIAC postseason appearance and earn the No. 3 seed for the second time in four years.

Third-seeded Saint Benedict (9-6-3 MIAC), which has received votes for a fifth straight week in the national polls, will face No. 2 seed Hamline (20-4-1, 14-3-1 MIAC) at TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday at 3 p.m. The matchup marks the first-ever conference playoff meeting between the programs.

The winner advances to face the winner of No. 1 Augsburg and No. 4 Gustavus on March 7 at the home arena of the higher seed.

MIAC Playoff History
This is Saint Benedict's fifth MIAC Playoff appearance (1999-00, 2001-02, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2025-26).

• 2022-23 – No. 3 seed; fell to No. 2 Augsburg, 5-2
• 1999-2000 – No. 4 seed; lost series to No. 1 Augsburg, 7-1 and 3-0
• 2001-2002 – No. 5 seed; fell to No. 4 Concordia, 7-4 (quarterfinals)
• 2021-22 – No. 6 seed; lost to No. 3 Saint Mary's, 5-3

Season Review
Saint Benedict closed the regular season with a road-and-home sweep of Concordia, winning, 3-1 and 3-2. Shae Stinnett (North Oaks, Minn.) scored two goals in each game and earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Prior to that, the Bennies dropped a pair of tight games to No. 2 Augsburg, falling 3-2 at Ritsche Arena and 2-1 on the road. Helena Siska (Naperville, Ill.) scored twice in the home game. In Minneapolis, Stinnett netted her fourth goal of the season — and 13th of her career — at 19:51 of the first period at Ed Saugestad Rink, assisted by Jorja Jusczak (Moose Lake, Minn.) and Merrill Delich (Andover, Minn.).

First-year goaltender Lexi Badali (St. John, Ind.) made 40 saves as Augsburg outshot CSB, 42-19. The Bennies went 0-for-1 on the power play, while the Auggies were 1-for-5. Chloe Lewis (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) won 17 of 27 faceoffs, contributing to a 28-of-69 effort in the circle.

Earlier in February, Saint Benedict split with (RV) Gustavus, earning a 3-0 home victory before falling 2-0 on the road. The shutout snapped a 17-game winless streak against the Gusties. Badali recorded the first shutout of her career, making 67 saves over the weekend while allowing just one goal to earn her second MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Siska scored twice in the win.

Against No. 5 Hamline on Jan. 30, the Bennies skated to a 2-2 overtime tie before Hamline claimed a 1-0 shootout edge. The following night, Hamline earned a 5-1 victory in St. Paul.

January proved pivotal. In a 5-4 win over Saint Mary's on Jan. 23, Siska had two goals and an assist, while Emily Wendorf (Minnetrista, Minn.) recorded a career-high four assists. The win extended a six-game winning streak before a 1-0 overtime loss ended the run.

The stretch included a sweep of St. Catherine (4-1, 2-1), part of a five-game span in which the Bennies outscored opponents 26-3. On Jan. 17, Camryn Hargreaves (Minnetrista, Minn.) scored, and Stinnett netted the game-winner with 1:46 remaining. Badali stopped 40 shots in the series, allowing just two goals.

Saint Benedict also swept Dubuque in dominant fashion, outscoring the Spartans, 17-0, in consecutive shutouts. Presley Kraemer (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) posted her second career hat trick in a 10-0 victory — the program's highest-scoring game since 2005 and its 13th double-digit performance. Hargreaves scored twice, Lexi Hueller (Maple Grove, Minn.) tallied her first collegiate goal, and Savannah Wuitschick (Fargo, N.D.) earned her first career shutout.

On Senior Day, the Bennies completed the sweep with a 7-0 win as seven players scored. Ellynor Haack (St. Paul, Minn.) made 10 saves for her second career shutout, Tana Carlson (Anchorage, Alaska) scored her first collegiate goal, and Kraemer added her fourth goal of the weekend.

Saint Benedict opened January with a 3-1 nonconference win over UW-Superior on Jan. 3 as Siska recorded her first collegiate hat trick, becoming the first CSB first-year in a decade to score three goals in a game. Wuitschick made 19 saves for her first collegiate victory after a 2-2 overtime tie the previous night, with the Bennies winning the shootout.

The Bennies closed 2025 with two 1-1 overtime ties against Bethel, splitting shootouts. Badali allowed just two goals over 130 minutes, including a career-high 41 saves on Dec. 5, earning MIAC Player of the Week honors.

By The Numbers – Saint Benedict
Under head coach Lindsay Macy, the program's all-time wins leader with 51 victories, Saint Benedict averages 2.76 goals per game (third in the MIAC, 22nd nationally) and allows 1.92 (fourth in the MIAC, 28th in Division III).
The Bennies hold a 27.7–26.6 shots-per-game advantage, have 10 power-play goals (eighth in the MIAC), and lead the conference — ranking seventh nationally — with four short-handed goals by four different players.

CSB's four shutouts rank fourth in the MIAC and 22nd nationally. Its 69 goals are third in the conference and 22nd in Division III, while 93 assists rank third in the MIAC and 25th nationally.

Individually:

• Siska leads with 12 goals (fourth in the MIAC) and 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists), 12th in the conference.
• Kraemer has 10 goals and owns 22 career goals and 40 career points. With six assists in 2025-26, she will skate in her 102nd career game this week, becoming the third player in program history to reach 102 games, joining Elizabeth Hancock (103, 1998-2002) and Kate Rollwagen (103, 1998-2002).
• Stinnett has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points and 17 career goals with 17 career assists.
• Hargreaves has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists).
• Ella Tuccitto (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) has 11 points (seven goals, five assists).

Badali ranks sixth in the MIAC and 32nd nationally with a 1.79 goals-against average and holds a .938 save percentage — third in the conference and 25th nationally. She averages 27.26 saves per game (third in the MIAC) and has made 518 saves this season.

Scouting Hamline
Hamline, ranked No. 7 in the USCHO poll, secured the No. 2 seed after finishing one point behind Augsburg, 44-43, in the MIAC standings. The Pipers are 20-4-1 overall and 14-3-1 in league play, with a 2-1 overtime record and 1-0 mark in shootouts.

Under first-year head coach Jake Bobrowski, Hamline leads the MIAC in scoring at 4.52 goals per game while allowing 1.76. Nina Thorson ranks third in the conference with 15 goals, Grace Delmonico has 12 (fourth), and both Abigail Chamernick and Ashlyn Abrahanson have 11 scores. In goal, Harper Powell owns a 1.33 goals-against average (second in the MIAC) with 187 saves in 20 games.

Series Snapshot
Saint Benedict trails Hamline, 26-23-5, in the all-time series and is 0-1-1 against the Pipers this season. The teams tied 2-2 in overtime on Jan. 30, 2026, before Hamline earned a 5-1 win on Jan. 31 in St. Paul. Over the last 10 meetings, Hamline holds a 4-5-1 edge.

This marks the first postseason meeting between the programs. In the inaugural matchup on Dec. 10, 1999, the Bennies recorded a 17-1 victory in Richmond, Minn., setting a school record for goals in a game. Saint Benedict is 10-17 all-time in away games in the series.