Box Score  | GameDay Preview

HASTINGS, Minn. — It was a homecoming of sorts for the Saint Mary's University and St. Scholastica women's hockey teams.

At least for SMU sophomore Mackenzie Klimek and CSS junior Jordyn Klimek, that is.

The Klimek sisters squared off for the first time as opponents — on the same ice they had skated together on during their high school days at Hastings High School — as the Cardinals and Saints battled in a nonconference game Tuesday evening at Hastings Ice Arena.

Unfortunately for Mackenzie Klimek, it would older sister Jordan who landed bragging rights, as St. Scholastica used a late second-period goal by Nina Waidacher to beat the Cardinals 2-1.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start, but once we got going, I thought we played well,” said SMU coach Terry Mannor. “We had our chances to get that game-tying goal, we just couldn't convert.”

The Saints were all over SMU early in the opening period, peppering SMU goalie Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) with six shots before the period was even three minutes old.

St. Scholastica finally got one past Gustafson at 3:43 of the first period as Gina Dodge netted her team-leading fourth of the season, off assists from Nikki Logergren and Waidacher.

The Cardinals got the equalizer five minutes later, as Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.) notched her fourth of the season, pushing a McKenna Parent (Ham Lake, Minn.) rebound past Saints goalie Teraysa White.

The two teams would take the 1-1 tie into the locker room after 20 minutes, thanks in large part to Gustafson, who finished with 14 first-period shots.

St. Scholastica broke the deadlock with 3:01 remaining in the second period, as Waidacher rifled a shot that eluded Gustafson to give the Saints a one-goal, 2-1 edge heading into the game's final 20 minutes.

And, despite a furious late third-period SMU barrage, the Saints would make that 2-1 lead stand up in improving to 3-1-2 overall, while the Cardinals fall to 3-4-0 overall.

Gustafson finished with 27 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while White kicked out 19 of the 20 SMU shots she faced.

The Cardinals are now off until Nov. 30, when they travel to Northfield, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against St. Olaf. The two teams will then head to the SMU Ice Arena for a 2 p.m. MIAC rematch on Saturday, Dec. 1.