Box Score They rode a 15-game win streak into Wednesday night's opening game of the NCAA Tournament, but St. Scholastica's 1-0 victory over host Carroll (Wis.) College might be the sweetest of their now 16 game string.
In a game in which the host Pioneers out shot the Saints 21 to one, all it took for the Saints to advance in the national Division III tournament was that one shot as sophomore
Sarah Bartlette (East Grand Forks, Minn./Shattuck St. Mary's) played a through ball from junior
Robin Johnson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Marshall School) and scored the game's only goal in the 62nd minute.
St. Scholastica goalie
Kelly Momsen (Austin, Minn./Austin HS) had one of her most active nights between the pipes all year recording seven saves while registering her 12th shutout of the season and 26th in her career, both program records.
Senior defender
Becky Fisher (White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) had the job of marking Carroll's Kendell Uttech all night and held the dangerous scorer -- 11 goals on the year, seven game-winning goals -- to only two shots.
Along with Fisher, sophomore
Cortney McKenzie (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS), the winning shooter in the Saints' shootout victory in the conference tournament finale, and senior
Dani Determan (Andover, Minn./St. Francis HS) helped clear the way in front of Momsen as they stood up against the final barrage of offensive pressure by the Pioneers with time winding down.
"We came out a little nervous in the beginning but eventually settled in," said head coach
Dave Reyelts. "But we played smart, players filled their roles perfectly, and we did what it takes to be successful at this level," he added.
St. Scholastica (19-2-2) moves on to play the nation's No. 1-ranked team, undefeated Wheaton (Ill.) College, in the second round on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Wheaton, Ill., in a 6 p.m. match-up.
Carroll, the Midwest Conference's regular season and postseason tournament champion, closes their season with only their third loss in a 17-3-1 campaign.
