ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The (RV) College of Saint Benedict hockey team enters the MIAC Playoff Championship game with momentum and motivation. At 15-7-4 overall, the Bennies are making their fifth MIAC postseason appearance and earned the No. 3 seed for the second time in four years.

Third-seeded Saint Benedict, which has received votes in the national poll for a sixth consecutive week, will face (RV)/No. 4 seeded Gustavus Adolphus (15-10-2) at Ritsche Arena in St. Cloud, Minn., on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game is sold out. The matchup marks the first conference playoff meeting between the programs.

It has been a historic season for CSB, which advanced to its first MIAC Playoff Championship game and secured its first playoff victory while reaching 15 wins in a season for the first time in program history.

The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship trophy — the inaugural Jill Pohtilla Cup — and the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Hockey Tournament.

MIAC Playoff History
This marks Saint Benedict's fifth MIAC Playoff appearance (1999-2000, 2001-02, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2025-26).

• 2025-26 — No. 3 seed; defeated No. 2 seed Hamline, 4-2
• 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
• 2001-02 — 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
In the playoff semifinals, the Bennies used two third-period goals eight seconds apart to defeat second-seeded Hamline (20-5-1) at TRIA Rink in St. Paul on Feb. 28 and advance to the MIAC Playoff title game for the first time in program history.

Bailey Vesper (South Saint Paul, Minn.) scored what proved to be the game-winner at 7:03 before Shae Stinnett (North Oaks, Minn.) added an insurance goal at 7:11. Stinnett scored both the first and last goals of the game, opening the scoring at 2:32 of the first period. Jorja Jusczak (Moose Lake, Minn.) also found the net in the victory. Stinnett scored two goals for the third straight game and has tallied goals in four straight games overall.

Saint Benedict closed the regular season with a road-and-home sweep of Concordia, winning 3-1 and 3-2. Stinnett 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 Jusczak and Merrill Delich (Andover, Minn.).

First-year goaltender Lexi Badali (St. John, Ind.) made 40 saves as Augsburg outshot CSB, 42-19. Chloe Lewis (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) won 17 of 27 faceoffs as the Bennies went 28-for-69 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 combined in the two games 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 for CSB. In a 5-4 win over Saint Mary's on Jan. 23, Siska recorded two goals and an assist while Emily Wendorf (Minnetrista, Minn.) posted 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 while 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 scoring performance. Hargreaves added two goals, Lexi Hueller (Maple Grove, Minn.) scored her first collegiate goal, and Savannah Wuitschick (Fargo, N.D.) recorded 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 to earn MIAC Player of the Week honors.

By the Numbers – Saint Benedict
Under head coach Lindsay Macy, the program's all-time wins leader with 52 victories, Saint Benedict averages 2.8 goals per game (third in the MIAC, 22nd nationally) while allowing 1.90 (fourth in the MIAC, 28th in Division III).

The Bennies hold a 27.5-27.0 shots-per-game advantage and have scored 10 power-play goals (eighth in the MIAC). St. Ben's leads the conference — and ranks eighth nationally — with four short-handed goals by four different players.

CSB's four shutouts rank fourth in the MIAC and 22nd nationally. The Bennies' 73 goals are third in the conference and 22nd in Division III, while its 99 assists rank third in the MIAC and 25th nationally.

Individually:

• Siska leads the team with 12 goals (fourth in the MIAC) and 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists), ranking 12th in the conference.
• Kraemer has 10 goals and owns 22 career goals and 40 career points. With six assists this season, she will skate in her 103rd career game this week, becoming the third player in program history to reach 103 games, joining Elizabeth Hancock (103, 1998-2002) and Kate Rollwagen (103, 1998-2002).
• Stinnett has 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points and owns 19 career goals with 17 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 a .939 save percentage — third in the conference and 25th nationally. She averages 27.26 saves per game (third in the MIAC) and has made 555 saves this season, the eighth-most in program history.

Scouting Gustavus
In his 27th season, head coach Mike Carroll has Gustavus Adolphus back in the MIAC Playoff Championship with a 15-10-2 record. The Gusties advanced with a 1-0 overtime victory over No. 1 seed and No. 2 nationally ranked Augsburg in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals.

Gustavus averages 2.1 goals per game while allowing 1.7 and holds a 35.7-to-21.6 shots advantage. Lil Mortenson leads the team with 11 goals and 17 assists, while Kilie Scott and Noelle Hemr have nine goals each.

In goal, Lily Timmons has 13 wins with a 1.46 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage while totaling 458 saves.

Series Snapshot
Saint Benedict trails the all-time series, 4-53-1, though the Bennies snapped a 17-game winless streak with a 3-0 victory on Feb. 6 at Ritsche Arena before Gustavus responded with a 2-0 win on Feb. 7 in St. Peter, Minn. Saturday's matchup marks the first postseason meeting between the programs. Saint Benedict is 1-5 all-time in the MIAC Playoffs, while Gustavus holds a 41-10-2 postseason record with 15 MIAC titles.