Box Score LAKE FOREST, Ill. (csssaints.com) – In its second postseason appearance in the three-year history of the program, the St. Scholastica women's hockey team won its first NCHA O'Brien Cup playoff game with a 2-0 victory over Lake Forest College on Friday night.
The Saints scored two goals in the final 3:09 of the third period to take the first game of the series. If the Saints earn at least a tie tomorrow, they will advance to the semifinals. If the Foresters win game two, the teams will play a 20-minute mini-game immediately following game two.
CSS is the No. 6 seed in this year's O'Brien Cup playoffs, playing the third-seeded Foresters. This is the second straight year both teams are facing each other in the quarterfinals. Lake Forest swept the Saints last season.
Nearly 57 minutes of game one of the series went scoreless as both CSS goaltender
Teraysa White (Belgrade, Maine/Brewster Academy (New England College)) and Forester netminder Stacey Dierking stopped all 44 shots they saw combined through the first two periods.
The Saints finally broke through with three minutes and nine seconds remaining in regulation as
Kaitlin Johnston (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater HS) found the back of the net.
Monika Waidacher (Arosa, Switzerland/Wirtschaftsschule KV Chur (Swiss National Team)) and
Jordy Klimek (Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) were credited with the assists. This marks the third straight game with a goal for Johnston.
Then with the Lake Forest net empty in the final minute,
Nina Waidacher (Arosa, Switzerland/Wirtschaftschule KV Chur (ZSC Lions/Swiss U18 National)) sent the puck down the ice from her own face-off circle and it found empty net to seal the win for the Saints by a final margin of 2-0.
Alex Blair (Drake, Saskatchewan/Lanigan Central HS) had the assist on the final goal.
The win is not only the first postseason victory for the Saints, but it is also the first win over the Foresters, who were unbeaten in eight previous meetings against CSS.
White, who set a program record with 56 saves the last time she faced the Foresters, earned her fourth shutout of the season, stopping 34 shots. Dierking finished with 31 saves in the loss for Lake Forest. CSS killed three penalties in the contest, while the Foresters were not called for a penalty in the game.
The Saints (13-9-4) and Foresters (15-6-4) will play game two tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
