Notables -CSS out-shot Concordia 32-27
-Saints finish with a 2-6 record in one-goal games this season
-Johnston has finishes with four career postseason goals
-Second postseason win in program history for Concordia
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica women's hockey team fell 2-1 to Concordia University Wisconsin on a heartbreaking late goal to end its season in the first round of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Slaats Cup playoffs.
There was no scoring in the first period of the game as both teams played excellent defense. CSS did outshoot CUW 11-9, but saw no benefits as the first period ended with a 0-0 score.
CSS would get on the board in the second period when
Kaitlin Johnston (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater HS) put the puck past Condordia goaltender Bridget Slater to take a 1-0 lead with 8:37 left in the period. The assists on the Saints goal went to
Kelly Ahlgren (Hayward, Wis./Hayward HS) and
Kaleigh Hamann (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS).
Unfortunately for the Saints, Concordia would answer almost immediately as they netted a power play goal at the 13:47 mark in the period, just 1:24 after the Saints scored to take the lead.
CSS and Concordia would remain scoreless for the remainder of the second period and almost the entire third period. It appeared that the game would be headed into overtime as Concordia came down the ice on one last power play rush.
With just 15 seconds left in the third period the Saints hearts were broken as the puck found its way past CSS goalie
Lindsey Hartfiel (Big Lake, Minn./Buffalo HS), giving Concordia a 2-1 lead that would eventually translate into a 2-1 win as Concordia Wisconsin escaped Duluth with a first round upset of CSS.
Hartfiel ended up saving 25 shots on the night, while Bridget Slater saved 31 of the Saints' 32 shots on the night.
CSS finishes its season with an 11-11-4 record. The Saints will have three seniors depart in forward
Nina Waidacher (Arosa, Switzerland/Wirtschaftschule KV Chur (ZSC Lions/Swiss U18 National)) and defensemen
Alex Blair (Drake, Saskatchewan/Lanigan Central HS) and
Kaitlin Johnston (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater HS).
For future news on the St. Scholastica women's hockey program, keep checking csssaints.com.
