Duluth, Minn. – The College of St. Scholastica women's hockey team delivered a strong, disciplined performance Friday afternoon, earning a hard-fought 1–0 victory over St. Norbert at home. Behind stellar goaltending and relentless defensive pressure, the Saints controlled the pace and capitalized late in the second period to secure the shutout.
How it Happened
First Period
The opening period set the tone for a tightly contested matchup, with both teams trading early chances and testing each other's defensive structure. The Saints generated quality looks from Gabby Gamst (Moose Lake, MN/Moose Lake HS) and Alaina Hedberg (St. Paul, MN/Tartan HS), while Makenzie Cole (Cohasset, MN/Grand Rapids HS) was sharp in net to turn aside St. Norbert's early attempts.
Midway through the period, the Saints were called upon to kill a penalty, and the penalty-kill unit responded with poise, clearing the zone and limiting the Green Knights to minimal pressure. As the period progressed, St. Scholastica continued to push the tempo, finishing the frame with sustained offensive zone time and several late shots, but the game remained scoreless after 20 minutes.
Second Period
The Saints came out of the intermission with energy, immediately applying pressure in the offensive zone. Feeling much poise at the start of the second frame, the Saints found themselves in a difficult spot on a penalty kill once more tonight. However, even down a skater, the Saints were able to keep the puck out of their own defensive end, and limit the Green Knights offensive options. Ultimately killing off the penalty.
As the period wore on, the Saints' persistence paid off. With just under two minutes remaining in the second, Gamst found Suzi Vidmar (Boise, Idaho./Timberline HS) in space, and Vidmar buried the chance to give the Saints a 1–0 lead. The goal ignited the bench and rewarded a period of sustained pressure and smart puck movement.
The Saints continued to attack in the final moments of the period, nearly adding another goal, but carried a well-earned 1–0 advantage into the second intermission.
Third Period
Protecting the lead, the Saints played a composed and confident third period, focusing on clean exits, strong backchecking, and disciplined defensive coverage. St. Norbert pressed for the equalizer, but the Saints' blue line held firm, blocking shots and limiting second chances.
Cole was outstanding down the stretch, calmly handling every shot that came her way and controlling rebounds to keep the Green Knights off the scoreboard. The Saints continued to generate chances of their own, with Victoria Nelson (Mahtomedi, MN/Mahtomedi HS), Grace Chapman (Blaine, MN/Blaine HS), and Kendra Royer (Duluth, MN/Duluth Marshall HS) all creating pressure in the offensive zone.
In the final minutes, St. Norbert pulled their goalie, but St. Scholastica remained poised, winning key faceoffs and clearing the puck to preserve the lead. When the final horn sounded, the Saints celebrated a complete team effort and a well-deserved 1–0 victory, upsetting the nationally ranked Green Knights.
Goaltending
Saints, Mackenzie Cole: Played 60:00, faced 38 shots, recorded 38 saves, save percentage: 1.000
Green Knights, Tanith Plachetka: Played 58:13, faced 30 shots, recorded 29 saves, save percentage: .966
What's Next
The Saints (5-7-1, 0-4-1 MIAC) will remain at home to host the Cobbers (5-8-0, 2-4-0 MIAC) in a MIAC Conference game on Friday, January 16. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 pm. This will be the first in a two-game home series against the Cobbers, with the second game taking place the day after.
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