Notables
-Stegora scores twice in first career CSS game
-Battisti scores in collegiate debut
-CSS now leads the all-time series record over Augsburg at 2-0-2
-The last time the Saints played a MIAC school dates back to the 2012-13 season
-CSS has yet to lose an opening game in their now seven years of existence (5-0-2)
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The College of St. Scholastica women's hockey team kicked off its 2016-17 season with a sounding victory Friday night as it defeated the Augsburg Auggies by a final score of 3-1 at Mars Lakeview Arena.
The Saints, who found themselves ranked second among conference foes in the preseason polls of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), proved that they belonged there after taking down a strong Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) team in that of Augsburg College.
The game itself was quite intense as the two teams combined for 53 shots on the night, with Augsburg winning the head-to-head category 31-22. Despite the high volume of shots, neither team could muster anything past the two goalies in the first period of play. Each team had a power play opportunity as well in the first, but St. Scholastica's
Lindsey Hartfiel (Big Lake, Minn./Buffalo HS) and Augsburg's Rebecca Sonnek held their own in between the pipes.
The first action of scoring happened just three minutes into the second period when Augsburg's Callen Naasz found herself in a breakaway situation after a CSS pass went off a teammate's skate and was redirected into the open ice. Naasz capitalized by sending one above Hartfiel's left shoulder for a top-shelf goal.
It didn't take long for the Saints to respond. Four minutes after the Augsburg goal it was St. Scholastica's
Emily Stegora (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS (Minnesota State-Mankato)) this time with the breakaway opportunity. Stegora's first shot was deflected away by Sonnek, but a second effort poke at the puck while starting to fall over earned Stegora her first goal as a Saint. The goal was assisted by
Abby Sawyer (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS) and
Sierra Hanowski (Warroad, Minn./Warroad HS).
The scoring would seize for the remainder of the period and the game would be tied at 1-1 heading into the final period of play. The Saints found themselves in a power play opportunity six minutes into the third, which is when
Giorgia Battisti (Bolzano, Italy/Rice Memorial HS (Vermont)) put CSS in the lead with a quick deflection in front of the net. The freshman's first collegiate goal would be assisted by
Kennedy Houge (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) and
Mac Johnson (Monticello, Minn./Monticello HS (St. Cloud State)). It was then a stalemate battle for a majority of the third, as both teams had plenty of opportunities in the opposing zone, but stellar goalie play kept the score at 2-1.
With around two minutes remaining Augsburg pulled Sonnek in an attempt to tie it up with an extra skater. The Saints held off the Auggie attack, however, and Stegora capitalized on the empty net with a slow roller trickling down the ice into the back of the net with 20 seconds remaining. Stegora's goal would mark her second on the night and the last goal of the game, giving the Saints a 3-1 victory in the season opener.
The win marks the third straight opening-day victory for St. Scholastica. They are now 1-0-0 on the year, while Augsburg falls to 0-1-0.
Up Next
The Saints will remain at home for their next contest, which falls on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. when Finlandia University comes to Duluth for a NCHA showdown.
