Duluth, Minn. – The Saint Scholastica Women's hockey team set off to Moorhead, Minn to play a two-game series against the Cobbers of Concordia College. Tonight, January 17 was the first of the two-game trip, which ended in a narrow 2-3 defeat after three periods of play.
How it Happened
First Period
The first twenty minutes of play offered a glimpse into this well-contested match. The game opened up with both teams trading rounds of shots, allowing both goaltenders to record saves early on.
Throughout the opening twenty, neither team found a one-up on their opponent, trading the offense and maintaining a strong defense.
The opening period remained scoreless through the buzzer, both teams stuck in a 0-0 deadlock heading into the first intermission.
Second Period
Period two began with both teams finding themselves in the penalty box, for various penalties. However, both teams were able to successfully kill off any penalty and not allow any powerplay goals.
Following the rough start to the period, both teams once again began trading offensive bouts, testing the opposing defense. It would not be long until the Cobbers were able to put themselves on the scoreboard, recording the first goal of the game eight minutes into the second period.
The Saints found themselves on their heels following the Cobbers' goal, with goaltender Makenzie Cole (Cohasset, Minn./Grand Rapids HS) holding down the defense in the net, stopping seven consecutive shots on goal.
The Saints began to try and dig out of the deficit they found themselves in, recording three consecutive shots on net that were all stopped by the Cobbers' goaltender.
It was not long until the Cobbers once again found themselves on the powerplay, and just like before the Saints were able to kill off this powerplay, but only a minute later, back on full strength, the Cobbers once again beat the Saint's defense, extending their lead to two goals with three minutes remaining in the period.
The final three minutes saw the Saints attempting to close the gap before the second intermission. While they had some good chances at doing just that, the buzzer came before a goal, so the score at the end of two remained 0-2.
Third Period
Period three saw the Saints and Cobbers match each other offensively once again, this time trading singular shots on goal.
This time, the Saints were the first to strike, as Sophie Johnson (Warroad, MN/Warroad HS) recorded her first collegiate goal assisted by Morgan Mitchell (Farmington, MN/Farmington HS) to cut the Cobber lead in half.
Only twelve seconds later the Saints once again bested the Cobber defense, this time Victoria Nelson (Mahtomedi, MN/Mahtomedi HS), who got the puck from Lyndi Schubert (Mantorville, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville HS), and Hanley Block (Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria HS) found the back of the net, securing the equalizer early in the third period.
Following Saints second goal, their offense was outmatched by the Cobbers defense, getting outshot 2-7, before the Cobbers once again beat the Saints defense, with seven minutes remaining in the third period.
With time winding down in the game, the Saints were unable to get any more shots off, forced to remain on defense, Cole recorded three more saves before the game came to a close.
Goaltending
Makenzie Cole (Cohasset, Minn./Grand Rapids HS) played all three periods for the Saints, facing a total of 45 shots, recording 42 saves, giving her a save percentage of .933.
Ashlea Arvidson (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS) played all three periods for the Cobbers, facing a total of 21 shots, recording 19 saves, giving her a save percentage of .904.
What's Next
The Saints (2-12-0, 0-7-0 MIAC) will stay in Moorhead to once again play the Cobbers (3-11-0, 2-5-0 MIAC) of Concordia College, tomorrow, Saturday, January 18. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.
