Box Score Game Summary / GameDay Preview / Honoring the Seniors / Senior Salute

WINONA, Minn. — The score was the same — as the Saint Mary's University and Saint Benedict women's hockey teams battled to a 4-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference decision.

Unlike Friday, however, the four goals were on the Cardinals' side of the scoreboard, as SMU got a pair of goals from Stevie Fiek (Rochester, Minn.) in helping the Cardinals to their fourth win in their last five games.

“That was a much better performance,” said SMU coach Terry Mannor. “We did the things we have been working on in practice — and that was great to see. (Friday night) we just were not mentally into the game, and our effort lacked the intensity that we had today.

“Today's game was much more like the way we are capable of playing.”

The Cardinals got out of the gates quickly, as Fiek tallied an unassisted goal just 2:09 into the opening period. Haley Coolsaet (Grosse Island, Mich.) added her team-leading 10th of the season midway through the stanzas as SMU took a 2-0 advantage into the locker room after 20 minutes.

Sheree Haselmore (Gore, New Zealand) pushed the lead to 3-0 at 13:33 of the second period. CSB cut the gap to 3-1 on a goal by Allyson Nielsen 35 seconds into the third period, and Fiek iced the win with her second of the game into an empty net with two seconds remaining in regulation.

Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) and Erin Johnson-Buscemi (Medina, Minn.) shared the goaltending duties for the Cardinals, with Gustafson stopping all 18 shots she faced, while Johnson-Buscemi kicked out eight of the nine Blazer shots in the third period.

“This was a great way to send off our seniors on Senior Day,” said Mannor, who honored his four graduating seniors — Johnson-Buscemi, Ingrid Klockars (Wheaton, Ill.), Cierra Lopis (Macomb, Mich.) and Dy-anna Stewart (Eden Prairie, Minn.) — prior to the game. “It was so nice to see us bounce back and play at a much higher level today.”

The Cardinals (8-3-3 MIAC, 11-7-3 overall) are back in action on Friday, when they travel to St. Peter, Minn., for a 7 p.m. game against league-leading Gustavus. The two teams will then return to the SMU Ice Arena on Saturday for the 2 p.m. rematch.